Edu will also become the first and only Major League Soccer player to appear as a customized Mii(TM) character exclusively for the Wii(TM) home video game system in FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play. EA SPORTS has created a unique version of Edu and his character will be playable alongside some of the world's biggest soccer stars, including Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Franck Ribery and others-- all created as special Mii characters exclusively for FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play.

"I got a kick out of my Mii because it looks like he has a lot of fun on the pitch and he's capable of pulling off some wild moves," said Edu. "It's fun to take control of my character and blast outrageous shots on goal with a flick of the wrist. I've never played soccer like this before."

One of the rising stars of MLS and the U.S. Men's National Team, Edu is in his second season with Toronto FC after being selected first overall in the 2007 MLS Superdraft and then being named MLS Rookie of the Year. Edu has earned caps with the US National Team and is currently training with the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team in Beijing. The 22-year-old midfielder was born and raised in Fontana, California, and prior to joining Toronto FC, played three seasons at the University of Maryland, winning the NCAA National Championship in 2005.

Earlier this month Edu participated in a body motion capture session with the EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 09 videogame development team at EA Canada in Burnaby, British Columbia. During the session Edu's body movements, individual moves and playing style were captured and digitized, and will become the life-like movement of his virtual self in FIFA Soccer 09 and future versions of the game.

FIFA 09 has been designed and customized to deliver a unique gameplay experience that takes advantage of the hardware specifications of each available platform.

With over 250 additions and enhancements to core gameplay, FIFA 09 on the PS3 system and Xbox 360 deliver an authentic football simulation that enables you to customize the game to suit your style and ability. New animation technology creates more responsive first-time shooting and passing, faster and more controlled dribbling, and improved trapping. New player momentum physics, which exploits the power of these platform engines, delivers realistic player collisions, authentic jostling for the ball, and more variation in tackling.

For the first time, go inside the game engine to customize the strategy and positioning of your teammates to decide exactly how your team will play in any situation. With new Custom Team Tactics you have all the tools to become a first-team coach. Adjust and customize tactical settings so CPU players and your team perform just like the real-world team plays and make strategic decisions to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, all on-the-fly. The popular feature innovation Be A Pro has expanded to a career mode called Be A Pro: Seasons where you can choose or create a professional player and then develop his skills at a single outfield position over four years with the ultimate goal of becoming a national legend. The matchday experience is now true-to-life with a referee and linesmen on the pitch. Plus, crowds, stadium atmosphere and commentary have all been regionalized in exact detail.

On the Wii, enjoy FIFA 09 All-Play one of two ways—a Wii-specific take on the authentic ‘11 vs. 11’ simulation or over-the-top ‘8 vs. 8’ arcade action within a stylized environment with Mii™ versions of your favorite superstars, like Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney. Refined motion and point-and-play controls make playing FIFA 09 All-Play even more intuitive and perfectly balanced for gamers of any ability to enjoy fun, football action. Choose to play the style that best suits your skills from advanced controls for experienced players to new EA SPORTS™ All-Play controls that enables novice players to focus on fun using simplified controls with AI assistance.

FIFA 09 on PC now features leading-edge visuals that deliver graphics that exploit the power of hi-spec gaming PCs, as requested by PC gamers. Star players are featured in photorealistic quality with remodeled likenesses for ultra-realistic gameplay. FIFA 09 on PC also features customizable mouse gameplay controls that deliver deeper, more intuitive command over your squad. Plus, customizable widgets are now integrated into the menu system to connect you to the FIFA community and real-world football so you stay connected while playing FIFA 09.

With 500 new animation sequences and all-new collision and shielding systems—representing the biggest innovations to the multiplatform EA SPORTS football engine in four years— FIFA 09 delivers more responsive, intelligent and realistic physical action on the PlayStation 2 system. The new collision detection system with 360 degree coverage enables players to behave according to their physical attributes where player speed, direction and strength determine everything from the severity of the collision to the outcome of possession. Changes to the animation system reward the skillful gamer during one-on-one situations between attackers and defenders. Tuned acceleration attributes enable swifter virtual players to possess quicker first steps and gain advantage in sprints. Plus, four new skill moves—scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls—give you a total of 32 tricks in your arsenal to perform just like Ronaldinho.

FIFA 09 on the PSP system and NDS now include the innovative Be A Pro feature, including the unique Be A Pro camera that re-creates the rush and excitement of racing in on goal, designed exclusively for each system.

Additional major feature innovations for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC will be revealed later this month and announced at the Leipzig Games Convention in August.

FIFA 09 is in development for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PS2, NDS, PSP, and is scheduled for worldwide release this autumn.