FIFA 19: Release Date, Best New Features and Cover

Cristiano Ronaldo will return as the cover star of FIFA 19 when the game is released on September 25 and will this year wear Juventus colours as he begins his first season in Serie A.

The Portuguese superstar's £100 million move to Turin from Real Madrid has only increased hype for how he'll be used in FIFA's latest release, including the implications it will have on Ultimate Team lineups.

EA Sports is offering early access three days early to those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition of the game.

Ronaldo will feature alone on the cover of the regular release, while ESPN FC confirmed Neymar will stand alongside the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for the FIFA 19 Champions and Ultimate editions:

But the cover won't be all that's new with FIFA 19, and with the release comes a glut of new additions and fresh takes on long-standing formats within the game.

IGN recently broke down a selection of the most enticing changes made for FIFA 19, including a lot more customisation in Kick-Off mode, a restructured long-range shooting scheme and a revised trick system:

The change that will ultimately have the greatest impact on FIFA 19, however, is the addition of a UEFA Champions League mode that many FIFA gamers have long waited for.

Players will now get to take on Europe's premier tournament without the need for custom competitions; instead, you'll be able to take on the continental elite in its official format: 

One subtle change that will get a lot of love from those less eagle-eyed players out there will see the mini-map altered so one team is made up of triangles and the other takes on dot form. A small difference but one that could make all the difference to those who struggle to differentiate between opposing teams.

There have also been alterations made to make it simpler to apply tactical changes to your team between matches and on the go, which was given the thumbs-up by professional player Nenad Stojkovic:

Spanish supporters will also be buoyed to see La Liga receive an update to include 16 more stadiums from the top flight, though Barcelona's Camp Nou still has rights registered with Pro Evolution Soccer:

Only a matter of weeks now remain until one of the biggest annual purchases for any football fan makes its arrival, and the slew of new features set to debut on FIFA 19 only offer more reasons not to miss out.