Diego Maradona settles with Konami over likeness dispute
Update: As part of the settlement, the legendary player will sign a deal this month to promote Pro Evolution Soccer
Update: Konami has reached an out-of-court settlement with Diego Maradona over the use of his name and likeness in Pro Evolution Soccer.
According to an article in the Argentinian newspaper El Eco de Tandil, translated by Polygon, the financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but a deal will be signed later this month that will result in Maradona becoming part of the Pro Evo promotional team until 2020.
A portion of the sum paid to Maradona as part of the settlement will be donated towards the support of amateur sports in Argentina, including the creation of new football pitches.
Original Story: Last week, soccer legend Diego Maradona took to Facebook to accuse Konami of illegally using his name and likeness in its Pro Evolution Soccer 2017.
"I heard yesterday that the Japanese company Konami uses my image for its game PES 2017," Maradona wrote. "Unfortunately, my lawyer Matias Morla will initiate the corresponding legal actions. I hope this is not another scam..."
Konami responded with a statement released on its own website today, saying, "There has been media reports about Winning Eleven 2017 (Overseas name: PES 2017 Pro Evolution Soccer) using unauthorized players in the game, but we are using the rights correctly according to the agreement with the Licenser."
The publisher did not say through which license-holder it obtained Maradona's likeness rights. However, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 features licenses and partnerships for a slew of teams, including many that Maradona played for, including Bocca Juniors, SSC Napoli, FC Barcelona, and the Argentinian national team.