Matildas defender Steph Catley has broken new ground for women’s football by becoming the first female player to appear on the cover of EA Sports’ hugely popular Fifa video game.

Catley, 21, will feature alongside men’s star Lionel Messi on Fifa 16 when the latest installment of the series is rolled out in Australia in August this year.

Catley, who plays her club football for Melbourne Victory in Australia’s W-League and Portland Thorns in the US, beat off competition for the honour from fellow World Cup stars Kyah Simon and Katrina Gorry in a public vote that saw more than nine million votes cast.

“Words can’t describe the excitement I’m feeling about being on the cover of Fifa 16, it’s a dream come true,” Catley said.

“It’s been a huge year for the Westfield Matildas and getting this recognition from EA Sports and Fifa fans for all our hard work is a great step forward for women’s football on both a local and global scale.

“I’ve always been a huge Fifa fan and knowing that I will be playable in the game, as well as being on the cover alongside Lionel Messi, is a career highlight for me.”

EA Sports announced in May the new release would boast 12 women’s national teams for the first time in 22 editions that had previously only featured men’s players and teams.

Gamers will now be able to play as the Matildas, as well as the likes of England, the US, France, and other World Cup sides.

Catley herself will be depicted in the game and the idea of taking control of a digital version of herself is an exciting proposition.

“The in-game image looks so much like me – all the fine detail, the nose, the forehead and every little thing down to the headband, it’s kind of perfect. It’s quite scary actually,” she told Four Four Two Australia.

“I think I’ll definitely try and play myself – I think I’ve got to get that out of the way as a kind of out of body experience.”

Catley is one of the women’s games brightest young stars, having made a huge impact since bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old in 2009. She has been named the W-League’s Young Player of the Year twice and already has over 30 international caps to her name.