Electronic Arts has momentarily removed Diego Armando Maradona from FIFA 22 due to a third party legal dispute. The company therefore had to suspend Diego Maradona’s presence in FIFA Ultimate Team Packs, Ultimate Draft and in the Soccer Aid World XI team and, in practice, he is now completely absent from the game.
FIFA 22: Maradona disappeared
The question appears to stem from a debate over who owns the image rights of Maradonawith an Argentine court that ruled last year that SHE he had potentially negotiated with the wrong side and that he had to remove Maradona from the game until it was possible to determine who actually owns these rights.
According to a report on the Argentine news site Infobae, in November 2021 the court found that EA had signed a commercial agreement with Stefano Ceci, the player’s former manager. However, the court concluded that Ceci did not have the legal authority to conclude such agreements and was unable to prove it.
The debate on who owns the rights to Maradona’s image continues to be the subject of controversy. The player’s lawyer, Matias Morla, he states that Maradona had granted the rights to the “Diego Armando Maradona” trademark to his company Sattvica before his death. Until the situation is resolved Maradona will have to continue to sit on the bench in FIFA 22.