HANDOUT - Jason Sudeikis as coach Ted Lasso and Sarah Niles as Sharon in "Ted Lasso". The former is set to star as a playable character in the next edition of FIFA. — Photo: Colin Hutton/Apple TV+/dpa
BERLIN: Ted Lasso, the football coach from the Apple TV+ comedy show of the same name, is set to appear as an in-game character in the next edition of cult football game FIFA, the creators at EA have announced.
The series tells the story of a US football coach who turns around an unsuccessful football club in England, and the main character portrayed by Jason Sudeikis is now set to be playable in “FIFA 23”.
EA’s addition of a fictional character marks something of a break for FIFA, which usually strives to keep as close as possible to real-world football personalities, statistics and league play.
The news comes a week after “Ted Lasso” won an Emmy for best comedy show for the second time in a row. In total, the series has already won 11 Emmys.
As such, the series is a clear win for Apple in its attempt to build its own video streaming service and compete with providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+.
In the latest version of the long-running football video game FIFA, set for release on September 30, gamers will also be able to play with the club AFC Richmond, the fictional team managed by Ted Lasso in the series.
The Nelson Road Stadium of AFC Redmond will also appear in the console and PC game.
Other characters from the series will also feature in the game, including Roy Kent, a loud-mouthed footballer played by Brett Goldstein. “It is so (expletive) cool to be in FIFA,” Goldstein said. – dpa
