FIFA 22is the latest in the popular soccer game franchise, allowing players to compete against each other or against a CPU opponent. InFIFAtitles, the player can either choose from some of the most recognizable teams in soccer such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, or make their own team online usingFIFA Ultimate Team. TheFIFAgames franchise has proved to be incredibly popular over the years, including hundreds of famous soccer players.
However, publisher EA on occasion has to remove players from the game. In September 2021,Benjamin Mendy was removedfrom the 10-hour trial ofFIFA 22after being accused of four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. This led to Mendy’s removal from booth the Manchester City and French national team squads. More recently, Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has been removed from the game after he was arrested and accused of rape and assault.
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Following the latest database update toFIFA 22, Greenwood was removed from the game in both offline and online modes. Despite the striker’s suspension fromFIFA 22, his Ultimate Team item remains active, and can still be traded on the Ultimate Team transfer market. As was the case with Benjamin Mendy, those who already have Greenwood in their Ultimate Team will not have the player removed from their team as yet.
EA Sportsmade a statement to Manchester Evening News confirming Greenwood’s suspension fromFIFA 22. “Mason Greenwood has been removed from active squads inFIFA 22and has also been suspended from appearing in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) packs and Ultimate Draft.” Manchester United has also made a statement regarding Greenwood, who was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault on January 30. It read: “Mason Greenwood will not return to training or play matches until further notice."
Inquiries are still ongoing regarding the accusations surrounding Greenwood, yet EA Sports has acted quickly in order to remove thestriker fromFIFA 22.While the current term being used for Greenwood’s removal is “suspension,” whether this suspension will eventually be lifted all comes down to the results of the inquires around Greenwood. Currently, the Manchester United player has been released on bail, with Greater Manchester Police currently warning against people sharing “any commentary or images that could compromise the victim’s right to lifelong anonymity, or risk prejudicing a live investigation with active proceedings.”
FIFA 22is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
