When Benfica winger Andreas Schjelderup broke through as one of Norway’s most promising young players, few could have predicted that his name would soon dominate headlines for reasons beyond football. The Norwegian winger was one of Benfica’s brightest young prospects in Career Mode — a 20-year-old talent rated in the mid-70s with the promise of an 80-plus ceiling.

Today, his name surfaces for a very different reason.

The 21-year-old Benfica forward posted a statement on Instagram, admitting to a “stupid mistake” made when he was 19 and playing for Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjælland. Speaking via the platform, he said he forwarded a clip “after watching only the first seconds” and deleted it immediately once a friend warned him of its contents. The video involved minors, and Schjelderup now faces a court hearing on 19 November 2025, with a suspended sentence appearing likely.

At the time of writing, Schjelderup’s player card remains active in EA Sports FC 26. No official statement has been issued by EA, and community databases such as FUTBIN continue to list his Ultimate Team card. Yet the situation raises an increasingly relevant question for the post-FIFA era of football gaming – how does EA Sports handle real-world misconduct that collides with its virtual brand?

When EA Has Acted Before

The most immediate comparison is Mason Greenwood. In 2022, following his arrest on allegations of rape and assault, EA Sports removed him from FIFA 22across allactive modes. His player cards disappeared within hours — EA’s swift attempt to distance itself from the growing controversy around Manchester United and Greenwood. When the charges were dropped in 2023, Greenwood gradually reappeared. His card can now be found in FC 26 after his transfer to Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille — a quiet reinstatement that demonstrates EA’s willingness to reverse removals once legal clarity was reached.

Another precedent comes from Marco van Basten, whose Icon cards were suspended from FIFA 20 after he used the Nazi-era phrase “Sieg Heil” during a livebroadcast. EA justified its decision by citing its “commitment to equality and diversity,” signalling that it treats public reputation and social responsibility as core elements of its brand identity. Van Basten later publicly apologised on air, and EA re-added his Icon card the following year — showing that contrition can lead to reinstatement.

Similarly, Benjamin Mendy was removed from FIFA 22 following serious criminal charges while at Manchester City, and Marc Overmars — then Ajax sporting director — was removed from the game in 2022 after resigning amid a sexual-misconduct scandal. Neither of their cards have reappeared in later editions Ultimately, these cases confirm a pattern of swift removal followed by delayed explanation, suggesting EA’s primary motive is insulating its brand from reputational harm.

The Outliers: Benzema and Brand Endurance

Then there’s Karim Benzema. Despite being convicted in 2021 for complicity in the attempted blackmail of France teammate Mathieu Valbuena, Benzema was never removed from FIFA or EA Sports FC. His cards, likeness, and ratings have remained intact across every edition. Benzema was also a brand ambassador for Electronic Arts during the FIFA era — a partnership that may have influenced the company’s reluctance to distance itself from him.

That inconsistency — removing some players but not others — suggests EA’s decisions depend less on fixed policy and more on visibility, timing, and brand optics. Benzema’s conviction, lacking the viral outrage of the Greenwood or Overmars scandals, resurfaced years after the original incident and involved another adult rather than a minor.

Ultimately, EA appears to react less to the legal verdict and more to public outrage and its impact on the global brand narrative.

Important Distinction: Licensing vs. Discipline

Players can also disappear from EA titles for reasons entirely unrelated to misconduct:

(I) Retirement or Death: Players who retire or pass away are removed unless EA negotiates a separate licensing deal — hence why Icons require unique contracts. For instance, the late Portuguese forward Diogo Jota was removed from FC 26 after his tragic death earlier this year.

(II) Unlicensed Leagues: If a player moves to a competition outside EA’s rights agreements, they are not included in the database. The most striking example is the Brasileiro Série A, which remains unlicensed. As a result, several major Brazilian stars — including Neymar Jr. — are absent from FC 26 despite their global stature.

These are administrative removals, not moral judgements.

The disciplinary cases — Overmars, Greenwood, Mendy, van Basten — stand apart precisely because they reflect ethical enforcement rather than legal or logistical necessity. Schjelderup’s situation, then, sits firmly in that disciplinary category.

A Different Landscape After the FIFA Split

There’s one crucial difference: all those earlier decisions occurred under the FIFA licensing era. Until 2023, EA operated under football’s global governing body, sharing its branding, sponsorships, and public image. Now, with the rebrand to EA Sports FC, that oversight no longer exists. EA acts independently, guided solely by its internal ethics and public-relations calculus. Player likenesses are handled through FIFPRO and league agreements, meaning EA alone decides whether a player’s conduct aligns with its values.

This autonomy gives the company more freedom — and greater accountability. Schjelderup’s case quietly tests whether EA’s long-stated “zero-tolerance” stance still applies in a world without FIFA’s oversight.

What Happens Next

As of now, Schjelderup’s card remains active, his rating unchanged, and no suspension in sight. Benfica president Rui Costa has said the club will “stand by him” through the legal process. If EA follows its past pattern, even a suspended conviction could prompt the temporary removal of his card. But if the studio takes a more selective, brand-conscious approach, Schjelderup may remain playable until public sentiment forces a response — or until an official