FIFA 08 cover athlete Ronaldinho will become the first professional football player to appear as a customised character exclusively for the Wii, Electronic Arts has announced today.

EA has created a unique character of the celebrated Brazilian football star that will be playable in FIFA 08 on Wii. The Wii-exclusive Ronaldinho will host a game mode designed and created exclusively for Wii called Footii Party with Ronaldinho. With this mode, EA introduces unique party games - including Table Football and Shoot Off – where you can play as your self-created Mii character to unlock Ronaldinho and take on the champ. Each Footii Party game is created as a multiplayer, social experience designed to engage and entertain fans of all ages.

Ronaldinho commented on the character: “My character looks like he enjoys playing football and shares my passion for the game. This is important to me. Whether you are playing football on the pitch or my party games in FIFA 08 on the Wii, it should be a fun and enjoyable experience.”

The game’s new FreeMotion controls help level the playing field for all players and turns FIFA 08 on Wii into a physical, social activity. It also provides gamers with a more control than before and with the in-game Football Academy players can learn basic and advanced controls in more than 30 interactive tutorials. Each lesson teaches how to master the FreeMotion controls and perform all the necessary movements to dominate on the pitch.

FIFA 08 is developed by EA Canada in Vancouver, and is scheduled for worldwide release in Spring on all formats.