SOCCER AID is back…and unlike last year we will have fans in attendance!
Stars from the world of celebrity and sport – such as Usain Bolt and Olly Murs – do battle on the pitch as England aim to bounce back after losing to the Rest Of The World XI in 2020.
Soccer Aid has raised over £47million for Unicef since its inception in 2006 with a record-breaking £9.3m raised in 2020 alone.
When is Soccer Aid 2021?
- Soccer Aid 2021 takes place on Saturday, September 4 – the first time it will be played on a Saturday.
- Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium – with fans in attendance – plays host.
- The match will kick off at 7.30pm BST.
What TV channel and live stream is Soccer Aid 2021 on?
Who is playing in Soccer Aid 2021?
A stellar cast awaits this year as Soccer Aid returns in front of fans in Manchester.
Wayne Rooney will be coming out of retirement to play for England. Rooney was the Three Lions manager in 2020.
Usain Bolt, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes have also signed-up to play in the big one.
Kelly Smith, Roberto Carlos, Patrice Evra, David James, Emile Heskey and Jamie Redknapp have also been confirmed to play.
And in the latest announcement, Rivaldo will join the Rest of the World XI.
Harry Redknapp returns as Manager of the Soccer Aid World XI FC.
Former Three Lions boss Sven Goran Eriksson will be taking charge of the England XI while Micah Richards joins the England coaching team with David Seaman as goalkeeping coach.
On the celeb front, James Arthur, Tom Grennan, Olly Murs, Mark Wright, Paddy McGuinness, Ore Oduba, Kem Cetinay, Liv Cooke, Roman Kemp and Chunkz will all be running out on the pitch.
What have they said?
The 2020 England manager, Rooney, is coming out of retirement to play in the match.
Rooney, 35, said: “Pulling on an England shirt is always special, so I’m absolutely delighted to be doing that again in Soccer Aid for UNICEF this September.
“Managing the England team last year was great but being around the players made me want to lace up the boots again – now I’ve got that chance, one last time.”
Micah Richards, who will be on Rooney’s coaching staff, said: “Usain Bolt running at Gary Neville? Rooney out of retirement? Me making my coaching debut. What more do you want?! This is going to be so good!
“I can’t wait to see all the lads run out at The Etihad for such a great cause. The line-up is looking really strong and let me tell you – there are even more surprises to come!”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
