Football, fashion and the digital world collide as Lover’s F.C x EA SPORTS FIFA 23 launches

A first-of-a-kind collaboration between football-inspired cult streetwear brand Lover’s F.C and EA SPORTS FIFA 23 launched at 5pm yesterday.

The in-game Lover’s F.C collection features a home, away and goalkeeper kit, which are available exclusively in FIFA ULTIMATE TEAM (FUT) for six weeks.

It gives game players the chance for their selected FUT to play in either a home or away Lover’s F.C football shirt, which also “crosses over in to the real world” - with leopard print unisex jerseys now available to buy on the Lover’s F.C website for £45.

The specially formulated edition of FIFA 23 with Lover’s F.C also sees the game played out with a Lover’s F.C ball, in an on-screen stadium bedecked with Lover’s F.C banners and flags, known as ‘Tifos’ held up by fans in the stadium, and they can even lift a Lover’s F.C trophy.

Lover’s F.C was created by vintage football shirt collector, creative consultant and author of the ‘Trainers’ and ‘Lover’s Guide to Football Shirts’ book, Neal Heard, who has previously collaborated on fashion-focused football shirt ranges for the likes of Urban Outfitters, Hanon and H&M, as well as with brands including YMC and Lyle & Scott.

Heard said: “As long-time players of EA SPORTS FIFA this has to be one of our favourite collaborations yet. The worlds of football and streetwear are forever intertwining and this goes for the digital arena too.

“Seeing a Lover’s F.C stadium, Tifo’s and all come to life whilst having the ability to get your hands physically on one of three new jerseys which also exist in the FUT space is something, using football cliche parlance, that we’re over the moon with.’’

Across the past 30 years, the EA SPORTS FIFA series has established, maintained and redefined its stature as the number one football simulator game worldwide. In 2009, FUT re-wrote the game by, not only revolutionising the way fans could play but allowing EA to introduce the culture around football through its already inherent authenticity – “bridging the gap between the clubs, leagues and nations everyone knows and loves to grassroots, music and fashion”.

Lover’s F.C now being available in EA SPORTS FIFA 23 is described as “another step towards the apex of the brand’s vision”. It combines the culture around the game of football with the game itself – blurring the lines between streetwear and sportswear.

On a separate note, Heard is also on the look-out for a permanent London store for Lover’s F.C, and has another collaboration launching soon with the Ministry of Sound.

Listen to our In Conversation podcast with Lover's F.C.'s Neal Heard here.