Fans of the Beautiful Game - prepare to pull your shirts up over your head, as we have news that both star Socceroo defender Lucas Neill and Portuguese "midfield maestro" Cristiano Ronaldo have been signed on as the Australian and New Zealand faces of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

As part of the deal, Neill and Ronaldo will appear on the packaging and marketing materials for the localised versions of PES 2008, the latest in the Pro Evolution Soccer series, to be launched this spring for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS2, PSP, DS, and the new Kitchen Sink console.

Lucas Neill has established himself as one of the best defenders in the world. Marking some of the most powerful strikers in world football, Lucas has impressed his peers with his clinical tackling, incisive attacking instinct, accurate kicking talent and quick and accurate analysis of his opponent's weaknesses to plan his offensive attack. "It is an honour to be the face of a game that is the undeniable leader in football video games. The developers succeeded in creating a true to life game that captures the intensity, realism and detail of football in a virtual environment."

Midfielder Ronaldo is regarded as one of the most exciting talents of the modern game, and the 22-year-old is a permanent fixture in the Portuguese national squad. His incredible ball control and trademark skills have seen him receive countless awards, including both the PFA's 2007 Player and Young Player of the Year awards. "For me there is no other game that can capture the grace and skill of football like PES 2008. Every element of the game is lavished with incredible detail, and with its close control and fast pace it is the most complete simulation of real football out there."

Mark Gilbert, Marketing Director of Atari Australia:

"Lucas Neill is one of the most exciting talents to represent Australian football and we're privileged to have him as the face of PES 2008 as well as Cristiano Ronaldo who is one of the undisputed stars of world football. Their dedication to the sport, unmatched talent and intensity of play is a great fit for a game that has a passionate, loyal and dedicated fanbase. We look forward to working with both Lucas and Ronaldo over the upcoming months to promote PES 2008."

The revolutionary Teamvision AI system is a major part of PES 2008, actively monitoring player's ingame movements and adapting accordingly - adding a whole new level of consideration to strategic play.

They've also paid a lot of attention to making the thing look pretty (always important) - not only are there lifelike movements and gameplay styles, but shirts crease during a match and faces contort with effort. All the major platform versions get extensive Edit modes, and all games experience closer control than ever before.

We have a November date for Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, so get your thumbs limbered up - you've got some football to be a-playin'!