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    Lewis Hamilton only appeared in video game Fortnite after the makers of the game agreed to his bizarre request

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    LEWIS HAMILTON was happy to appear in Fortnite – but only if the creators included his bulldog Roscoe.The 39-year-old shocked the sporting world before the start of the season by announcing that he would leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025.Hamilton first joined Fortnite’s Icon Series in NovemberCredit: ForniteHamilton’s bulldog Roscoe is a regular guest on the F1 paddockCredit: GettyFortnite is an online gaming platform released by Epic Games in 2017 and is now worth a whopping £31.5billion. Within a year, the virtual world had captured the imaginations of millions worldwide, including Hamilton himself who first picked up the console in 2018.When organisers learned about his interest in playing the game, they collaborated to bring the racer into the virtual world of Fortnite in November 2023.Notably, the skins are devoid of any Mercedes branding and instead embrace another element the seven-time world champion is known for – his style.READ MORE F1 NEWSOne of the two skins features the F1 star in a black suit that is accented with bright yellow and pink strips.Accessories on this skin include a beaded necklace, sunglasses, a single earring, a ring and a watch — with plenty of exposed tattoos.Also making his gaming debut was Hamilton’s bulldog Roscoe, who is present in two of the give items in the bundle. Roscoe, who currently has 961K Instagram followers, features as dangly back bling, and also makes an appearance perched on the front of the Hamilton’s surfboard-like glider.Most read in MotorsportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERIn the GQ video, a question that came up was, “Lewis Hamilton is in Fortnite?” Hamilton replied: “Yep. I got the opportunity to be in Fortnite. It’s a game that I played for a long time, but I said only if Roscoe could be in it.Lewis Hamilton’s first ever F1 world title thrown into question as Felipe Massa files damning lawsuit”They were like, ‘No problem.’ So Roscoe is in my jet pack hovering behind me as he’s my psychic.”There is no doubt about how fond the Mercedes driver is of his bulldog.Hamilton joined a steadily growing number of noted sports stars and celebrities to be turned into Fortnite skins as part of the Icons series.These include, England captain Harry Kane, tennis star Naomi Osaka, LeBron James, and Neymar Jr, Marco Reus and three-time super-bowl winner Patrick Mahomes.Hamilton’s interview with the fashion mag also saw him talk about the controversial conclusion to the otherwise thrilling 2021 F1 title fight.WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
    Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
    Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
    Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
    Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
    Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
    Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton. More

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      I created an iconic video game from humble beginnings – now it makes £300MILLION a year and is played all over the world

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      THE iconic video game Football Manager has captured the imagination of millions of fans around the world.The popular game sold six million copies last year – meaning it has raked in a fortune for its developers.
      Football Manager is mostly played in the UK and according to them are close to generating 2 million players a yearCredit: Sports Interactive
      Football Manager allows players to take charge of their favourite football team and manage them all the way to glory.
      It has also launched players into the real world of professional football, most famously Stade de Reims coach Will Still.
      Since its release, the gaming community has expanded rapidly, with last year’s game played by six million people.
      Miles Jacobson has been the man behind Football Manager since the first game was released.
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      Under his leadership has managed to grow the firm Sports Interactive from five staff to over 250 – with around 1,300 researchers around the world.
      Miles told the BBC: “The way that I see it, I’m actually making the game for me – it just so happens that there are a few million other people like me out there.
      “Games aren’t cheap for people to buy, so we’re determined to make the best value for money game every year, so people are getting a lot of playtime out of their £40-50 that they’ve worked so hard to try and get.”
      Today marks the release of the 20th game in the Football Manager series and this will be the last of its kind – with next year’s game set to be reimagined and redesigned on a different engine.
      Most read in Football
      Football Manager’s graphics have improved drastically since its release in 2004.
      With better technology, it evolved from its text-based beginnings to using motion capture rendering players in 3D.
      However, Football Manager 24 is ditching motion capture for “motion matching” which uses real data from football matches and applies it to the movement of footballers in the game itself.
      This year’s game will make a debut in Japan for the first time in its history, with the addition of the J-league (Japan’s top football league) also being added to the game.
      Another new feature that is set to excite players is the ability to continue from where they left off in Football Manager 23 – As players progress from last year’s game can carry directly into Football Manager 24.
      According to Sports Interactive, this feature has already been used by 25 per cent of players who had pre-ordered the game.
      For next year’s game Miles Jacobson confirmed that women’s football will be added.
      If you are into your football have a look at why Mauricio Pochettimo refuses to rule out managing Tottenham.
      Or check out how fans managed to get on the track at the end of the F1 Brazillian Grand Prix.
      Miles Jacobson studio director of Sports Indirective grew up supporting Watford F.C.Credit: Rex
      FM24 will cost players £44.99 on PC and £39.99 on consoleCredit: Sports Interactive More

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      Mason Greenwood WILL be in EA FC 24 video game after being removed from Man Utd squad in FIFA… but there’s a catch

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      MASON Greenwood will be included in the EA Sports FC 24 video game – but there’s a catch.The popular football game is due to be released on September 29 and comes after the controversial striker was dropped from FIFA 22 following his arrest.
      EA Sports has confirmed Mason Greenwood will appear in the latest version of their popular video gameCredit: Rex
      Greenwood has been seen training with Getafe having been loaned to the Spanish side from Man UtdCredit: Alamy
      Greenwood is currently on loan to Getafe from Manchester United after the charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control against him were dropped in February.
      A statement from EA Sports said: “EA Sports FC 24 authentically reflects the active rosters of teams and clubs in the real world of football.
      “As he is now part of an active roster with Getafe CF, Mason Greenwood will be included in FC 24.”
      The 21-year-old though will not appear in the popular Ultimate Team mode as he wasn’t part of an active squad at the time of the cut-off date by EA.
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      Ultimate Team is a game mode where you unlock players to add to a virtual squad – which is then used to play against others online.
      When Greenwood last appeared in a FIFA update on January 27, last year, he had an overall rating of 79 with 90 potential.
      EA added: “As Greenwood was not part of an active roster at the time of our cut-off date for final team and player data, he will not appear in Ultimate Team at launch.”
      Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 with the charges dropped on February 2 this year.
      Most read in Football
      Man Utd launched an internal investigation and announced in August Greenwood would leave the club and he was subsequently loaned to the Spanish La Liga side.
      A statement from United said: “All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United.
      “It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.
      “Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged.
      “That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for.”
      Another popular video game, Football Manager, announced last week that Greenwood will be reinstated to their game.
      A Sports Interactive spokesperson told The Athletic: “Players or officials serving indefinite suspensions from football, for any reason, are removed from Football Manager at the first opportunity.
      “When suspensions or playing restrictions are lifted, the player or official will be reinstated in-game at the next scheduled update.”
      The news comes after Greenwood’s girlfriend Harriet Robson was reportedly seen out and about with some of the Getafe Wags.
      Greenwood signed with the Spanish side just before the end of the transfer window last month.
      Greenwood was later unveiled to a stadium of fans and has been seen training in footage shown on the club’s social media accounts.
      But a week-long break from club football owing to an international break has delayed his first appearance for Getafe.
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      And Getafe is understood to have been pulling out all the stops to ensure he is accommodated off the pitch ahead of his debut.
      Despite only signing on loan ten days ago, he is expected to feature against Osasuna on September 17.
      The charges against Greenwood were dropped in February this yearCredit: Getty More

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      Female footballer Sydney Leroux demands FIFA ‘deflate her boobs’ after making character too ‘chesty’

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      FEMALE footballer Sydney Leroux has called on FIFA to “deflate my boobs” after taking issue with her “chesty” in-game character. Leroux, 32, has enjoyed a long career playing in North America after beginning her journey with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2005.
      Striker Sydney Leroux has played for a number of clubs in North America, including the Seattle Sounders, Kansas City and Orlando PrideCredit: Getty
      Leroux was not at all convinced by her video game likenessCredit: EA Sports FIFA 16 via Twitter / @sydneyleroux
      FIFA has included women players since 2016 and went a step further with FIFA 23 by including the Women’s Super League and French Division 1 Feminine.
      A recent update has also seen the women’s Champions League and the National Women’s Soccer League, the top flight of football in America, added to the popular video game.
      But Leroux, who currently stars for Angel City FC, believed her animated character did not accurately represent her.
      She said on Twitter: “They had the headband, the braid, the neck tattoo, the overly plucked brows and someone even made me CHESTYYYY!!!!
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      “Deflate my boobs a bit and put a different jersey on.”
      But she added: “I’ll keep the brows at this point.”
      Fans weighed in with their thoughts of her botched game character.
      One admirer said: “No video game render can ever capture the grace and beauty of Sydney Leroux…”
      Most read in Football
      While another said: “The eyebrows are in point for LA! I agree, let’s keep them!”
      Leroux is not the first player to hit out at the game’s 3D models since the new leagues were added.
      Houston Dash defender Caprice Dydasco and Liverpool striker Katie Stengel have both been left unimpressed with their depictions.
      This is set to be the last FIFA game in its current guise after game developers EA Sports split from the governing body. More

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      Can you guess these footballers from their unrecognisable appearance in FIFA and PES?

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      FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer? Everybody has a view.Many will look at the gameplay, while some will be influenced by which game their mates choose.
      There have been some baffling AI players on FIFA and PES down the years
      And some may even decide based on the players’ appearances on the game.
      Following some hilarious-looking AI players in the 90s and early-2000s, both games have got their acts together in recent years.
      But even today, you can still see some very strange looking players on both games.
      Here are some that have slipped through the net down the years.
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      A quite different look for a Tottenham star in PES 2008
      This Spurs star would go on to become a five-time Champions League winner and one of his country’s greatest ever players.
      And he had a great crop too, if you played Pro Evolution Soccer in 2008.
      The only issue is the player had a far messier haircut at the time, even before he became known for his iconic topknot at Real Madrid.
      We are talking, of course, about Gareth Bale.
      Most read in Football
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      What Gareth Bale actually looked like in August 2007Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      This Barcelona legend looks completely unrecognisable in FIFA 2006
      Gary Lineker would be delighted to see his three-season stint at Barcelona in the 1980s honoured with an appearance on Fifa.
      The only issue is the picture is not supposed to be of the England legend, but an Argentine relative unknown who had just come through the ranks.
      Despite making his debut in 2004, this future seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was still a relative unknown by the time FIFA 2006 came out.
      The player in question is none other than the great Lionel Messi.
      Lionel Messi (left) with Ronaldinho in 2005Credit: Getty
      PES were way out with this Arsenal defender
      An Arsenal Invincibles centre-back, a two-time FA Cup winner and a Champions League runner-up.
      Memorable for his long, straight hair? Nope, us neither.
      This player didn’t have quite the same importance to the Liverpool team he joined in 2013, but it’s still no reason for PES 2014 to get his appearance completely wrong.
      Unbelievably, it’s Kolo Toure.
      Kolo Toure never looked anything like his PES 2014 versionCredit: Action Images – Reuters
      You’ll do well to guess who this Liverpool striker on FIFA 23 is
      If it was understandable that Liverpool fans were being dragged through the mill with unrecognisable players on video games ten years ago, it is less so today.
      However, that’s exactly what happened with their star striker on FIFA 23.
      We certainly don’t remember Liverpool splashing out £80m on a bald Uruguayan last summer.
      An update was soon released so that the AI player would bear at least some resemblance to the real Darwin Nunez.
      Darwin Nunez is about as far away from his bald FIFA alterego as it’s possible to be.Credit: Getty
      David Beckham’s Man Utd replacement looks unrecognisable in FIFA 2004
      David Beckham’s replacement at Man Utd arrived in 2003 with a fresh face and iconic blonde streaks in his hair.
      But there was none of that on FIFA 2004, where he seemed to have more of a Ryan Giggs look.
      In the coming years, this man would become arguably football’s most recognisable player.
      It is, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo.
      What Cristiano Ronaldo actually looked like in 2003Credit: Getty – Contributor
      One of Ronaldo’s future strike partners at Man Utd didn’t look much better in AI form
      As Ronaldo joined Man Utd, the man with whom he formed such a lethal partnership was bursting onto the scene at Everton.
      And FIFA 2004 didn’t do a great job of capturing his image either.
      EA Sports had eight months to prepare an AI player that looked like this future England captain following his famous winner against Arsenal in 2002.
      But unfortunately they didn’t manage to create much of a likeness to Wayne Rooney at all.
      The real Wayne Rooney in August 2003Credit: Getty – Contributor
      How one big money summer signing looks on FIFA 23
      So FIFA didn’t quite get Cristiano Ronaldo quite right 20 years ago, but surely things are better now?
      Well, if you were told about an £86m winger from Ajax, you might imagine a picture like the above.
      The only problem is the Red Devils signed a Brazilian with bleached blonde hair, not a Dutchman.
      The FIFA image may not look anything like him, but the player in question is supposed to be Antony.
      Antony looks very different in real life to on FIFACredit: PA
      This England midfielder cuts a haunting figure in the Euro 2000 game
      A blast from the past to finish things off.
      This England midfielder looks like a cross between a ghost and a scarecrow at the old Wembley.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Three Lions went out in the group stage of Euro 2000, and it wouldn’t be any surprise if the game’s graphic designers got the boot early too.
      The image is supposed to be of Jamie Redknapp.
      Jamie Redknapp would ultimately miss out on Euro 2000 due to a knee injuryCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

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      Mason Greenwood will continue to be excluded from FIFA 23 after charges against Man United star dropped

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      MASON Greenwood will stay off FIFA 23 after all his charges were dropped. The Manchester United striker, 21, had been off the games series since the allegations against him.
      Mason Greenwood will continue to be excluded from the FIFA seriesCredit: EA Sports
      Mason Greenwood had all charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control dropped on ThursdayCredit: AFP
      He was absent from the FIFA series since being removed from active squads and was suspended from appearing in Ultimate Team packs and Ultimate Draft in last year’s edition.
      It is reported that he will continue to be excluded, but the video game’s publisher EA Sports declined to comment on the situation.
      Greenwood had all charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control against him dropped yesterday.
      Greenwood said he was “relieved” yesterday after all criminal charges against him — including attempted rape — were dropped by prosecutors.
      The Man United star was informed that the Crown Prosecution Service had also withdrawn charges of actual bodily harm and coercive or controlling behaviour.
      The move came after 12 witnesses — including the woman at the centre of the allegations — refused to co-operate.
      Striker Greenwood, 21, said: “I am relieved that this matter is over and I would like to thank my family, loved ones and friends for their support.”
      But United bosses announced the club is now conducting its own probe into his behaviour surrounding the claims — which surfaced online in January 2022.
      Most read in Football
      Greenwood — who the club suspended following his arrest — will be unable to train or play for the Red Devils for the duration of the season.
      A spokesman said: “The club will now conduct its own process before determining next steps.
      “We will not make any further comment until that process is complete.”
      Last night dozens of United fans urged the club to get rid of Greenwood — who is on a £75,000-a-week contract. 
      Others said they should stick by him as he had not been convicted of any crime.
      He was arrested in January 2022 after harrowing images were posted on social media, along with video and audio footage, suggesting he had been physically abusive towards a woman.
      He was charged last October and had been due to stand trial this November.
      The charges came despite the alleged victim telling cops in April 2022 she no longer wanted him prosecuted and would not give evidence  in court.

      Police continued the case as they regarded her as a “vulnerable victim”.
      Last Friday The Sun told the CPS that we understood it was struggling to build a case.
      It confirmed our information at 2pm yesterday, when the end of proceedings was announced.
      A CPS spokesman said: “A combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.
      “We have explained our decision to all parties.
      “We would always encourage any potential victims to come forward and report to police and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”
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      Greenwood has made 129 United appearances, scoring 35 goals and has one England cap.
      He last played on January 22 last year against West Ham. More