EA Sports has finally announced some of the soccer stars that will be gracing the cover of FIFA 12 around the world. Among the cover athletes are the likes of Wayne Rooney — who will be featured on the cover in England, Ireland, and several other countries, Xabi Alonso (Spain), Jack Wilshire, and Kaka.

Unfortunately EA Sports has yet to reveal which athletes will be joining Rooney on the North American cover of FIFA 12. With Landon Donavan, arguably the most high profile soccer player coming out of the U.S., already getting his moment to shine last year, it’s tough to predict who might appear for the 2012 edition.

A notable candidate for the cover, considering his importance to the United States national team, might be Clint Dempsey, or you might know him as the guy who scores all the goals. Obviously the United States has plenty of standout athletes, and prolific goal scorers, but Dempsey would be a solid choice.

Among the other announced foreign athletes who will be appearing on different countries’ game covers are Tim Cahill (Australia), Valentin Stocker (Switzerland), Vasili Berezutski (Russia), Balazs Dzsudzsak (Hungry), Philippe Mexes (France), Gerard Pique (Spain), Giampaolo Pazzini (Italy), and Mats Hummels (Germany). Don’t know who any of these soccer athletes are? That’s okay; you’ll have plenty of time to get to know them in FIFA 12.

Sporting some intense animation and collision upgrades, FIFA 12 promises to deliver the most realistic soccer experience yet. Implementations like the Pro Player Intelligence will eliminate the feeling of teammate inadequacy and new on-the-ball movements will help you break ankles like Lionel Messi.

The game is set to release in just over two months, so expect more detailed looks at FIFA 12 including more in-depth explanations of what EA Sports has got working under the hood.

Which athletes would you like to see on the cover of FIFA 12 in North America? Any foreign football stars that you think deserve their chance to grace a FIFA cover?

FIFA 12 releases September 27, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, and PS2.

Source: VG 24/7