FIFA 16 will include nine new stadiums, but the one that stands out from the group is Portsmouth’s Fratton Park. With just 50 licensed stadiums in the game, the ground for a League Two side might seem a curious inclusion when only six Bundesliga stadiums and four La Liga grounds will be in the game, but it’s there for a very special reason.
Creative director for the FIFA series, Simon Humber, died of cancer in April of this year at the age of 45. Simon was a big Portsmouth fan, so his colleagues decided that putting Fratton Park in the game would be the best way to honor his memory.
From EA Sports:
“When you make video games, you spend a great deal of time with people, and shipping an annual title makes a team very close. I worked with Simon daily for seven years, and feel like I – and the team – lost a family member. In terms of his legacy within FIFA, he was the daddy of Ultimate Team, and played a big role in career mode – many of the features coming this year were ones he was leading development on.” – David Rutter, VP and GM, EA SPORTS FIFA, speaking to The Guardian earlier this year.
As an added touch, the game’s version of Fratton Park includes a unique remembrance of Simon within the ground. “If you look towards the goalmouth you will notice a ‘wreath of flowers’ laid to honor Simon, just as the club and its supporters did in an incredible gesture earlier in May,” says EA. So keep a box of tissues handy whenever you play there in the game.
Here’s the full list of licensed stadiums included in FIFA 16:
Argentine Primera División
- La Bombonera – Boca Juniors
- El Monumental – River Plate [NEW]
Barclays Premier League
- Anfield – Liverpool FC
- Boleyn Ground – West Ham United
- Britannia Stadium – Stoke City
- Carrow Road – Norwich City [NEW]
- Emirates Stadium – Arsenal
- Etihad Stadium – Manchester City
- Goodison Park – Everton
- King Power Stadium – Leicester City
- Liberty Stadium – Swansea City
- Old Trafford – Manchester United
- Selhurst Park – Crystal Palace
- St. James’ Park – Newcastle United
- St. Mary’s Stadium – Southampton
- Stadium of Light – Sunderland
- Stamford Bridge – Chelsea FC
- The Hawthorns – West Bromwich Albion
- Vicarage Road – Watford [NEW]
- Vitality Stadium – Bournemouth [NEW]
- Villa Park – Aston Villa
- White Hart Lane – Tottenham Hotspur
English Championship
- Loftus Road – Queens Park Rangers
- The KC Stadium – Hull City
- Turf Moor – Burnley
English League Two
- Fratton Park – Portsmouth [NEW]
Bundesliga
- Allianz Arena – Bayern München, TSV 1860 München
- BORUSSIA-PARK – Borussia Mönchengladbach [NEW]
- Volksparkstadion – Hamburger SV
- Olympiastadion – Hertha BSC
- Signal Iduna Park – Borussia Dortmund
- Veltins-Arena – FC Schalke 04
Eredivisie
- Amsterdam ArenA – Ajax
International Stadium
- Wembley Stadium – England
La Liga
- Camp Nou – FC Barcelona
- Estadio Vicente Calderon – Atlético de Madrid
- Mestalla – Valencia
- Santiago Bernabéu – Real Madrid
Liga MX
- Estadio Azteca – Club América
Ligue 1
- Parc des Princes – Paris Saint-Germain
- Stade Gerland – Olympique Lyonnais
- Stade Vélodrome – Olympique de Marseille [NEW]
Major League Soccer
- BC Place Stadium – Vancouver Whitecaps
- CenturyLink Field – Seattle Sounders FC [NEW]
Serie A
- Juventus Stadium – Juventus
- San Siro/Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – AC Milan, Inter
- Stadio Olimpico – Lazio, Roma
Saudi Abdul Latif Jameel League
- King Abdullah Sports City – Al-Ittihad & Al-Ahli [NEW]
- King Fahd International Stadium – Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Shabab
Rest of the World
- Donbass Arena – Shakhtar Donetsk
And here’s the latest trailer: