Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly join a group of investors who are set to commit £40million into the development of a new football video game, UFL, that will rival EA Sports FC.

UFL, which stands for United Football League, is being produced by video game developer Strikerz Inc, and was unveiled back in 2022.

While EA Sports’ football franchises have dominated the market over the past few decades, with eFootball (formerly Pro Evolution Soccer) developed by Konami, also having also been a big player in the video game space, UFL is set to step into the market to compete with both video games.

While the official release date for the upcoming football game is yet to be announced, the game will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles, and will be a free-to-play experience.

And Ronaldo, who has previously featured on the front cover of some of EA Sports’ previous titles, including FIFA 18 and 19, is set to have a role in the production of the new game.

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to join a group of investors who will commit £40million into a new football video game, UFL

The video game is set to rival titles including EA Sports FC and Pro Evolution Soccer

The Portuguese international has also already featured in trailers for the new title.

Speaking on his investment in the new game, the Al-Nassr forward said: ‘I’m thrilled to be a part of this project as UFL can become the new breed in football gaming.’

The popularity of e-sports has grown astronomically in recent years, with the Premier League unveiling their own e-sports league back in 2018.

Even his rival, Lionel Messi, recently became a co-owner of Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero’s e-sports team KRU.

The UFL, meanwhile, is set to host season-long tournaments as well as offline play, with players also able to compete in 2v2 and 3v3 matches.

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CEO of Strikerz Inc, Eugene Nashilov, said: ‘Having Cristiano Ronaldo join us as a partner and investor is a significant step forward and an endorsement of our vision to create the leading game for football fans in the world,’

‘UFL is committed to innovation, technology and entertainment and we see significant potential to do things differently in the gaming industry.

‘This is an ambition shared by Cristiano and we are excited to be working together, while continuing to engage with future investors, to create a game that fills a gap in the football gaming market by unifying a rich gaming experience with continuous progress and a fair approach.’