Renowned world cup-winning footballer Diego Maradona plans to take "appropriate legal action" against Konami for using his likeness without permission in Pro Evolution Soccer 2017.
As part of the game's 'Legends' bracket, retired/older greats such as Ronaldinho and his Brazilian counterparts Ronaldo and Rivaldo feature, as well as ex-Barcelona stars Carles Puyol and Xavi. These players can be used in conjunction with PES 2017's myClub mode, as can Argentina legend Diego Maradona who boasts a 97 rating—three points above countryman Lionel Messi.
But it seems the man responsible for The Hand of God that dispatched England from the '86 world cup isn't pleased with his inclusion, suggesting his permission was not sought by Konami.
On his Facebook page, Maradona said (via the social media platform's translate function):
"I heard yesterday that the Japanese company Konami uses my image for its game PES 2017. Unfortunately, my lawyer Matias Morla will initiate the corresponding legal actions. I hope this is not another scam…"
As a series, Pro Evolution Soccer has always taken a cautious approach to licensing, often including fake player and team names, as well as fake club badges. For example, as a long-serving Celtic supporter, one of my favourites was seeing the now retired midfielder Neil Lennon renamed Neil Lemmon.
That said, I'm not sure how usage/licensing rights apply to retired players, if they're different or the same as current players. I've reached out to Konami for clarification on this and will report back as and when they respond.
