Soccer Aid 2026: Date, tickets plus footballer and celebrity lineup for UNICEF match

Soccer Aid is back as the world of football and celebrity collide for the world’s biggest charity match.

Robbie Williams created the event in 2006 and since 2018, it has been held annually, raising millions each year in support of children all around the world.

In the 20 year history of the charity, they have raised more than £121million for UNICEF.

The 2025 edition at Old Trafford saw the World XI team secure a 5-4 win and they will be facing England again this year with a another star-studded cast.

Premier League legends will return to help raise money, including Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Joe Hart.

Ex-Lionesses Toni Duggan and Steph Houghton will be there again, having made their debut last year.

For the World XI team, new faces have been included, with the recently retired Barcelona legend Jordi Alba, former Scotland and Arsenal Women’s defender Jen Beattie and Ali Krieger, who played 108 times for the United States Women’s team, winning two World Cups, in the side.

Making their debuts from the world of Hollywood are 16-year-old Golden Globe winner Owen Cooper, who starred in Adolescence, and Formula 1 movie actor Damson Idris.

Additionally, popular podcaster GK Barry will make her first appearance on the pitch, followed by former England rugby player, Joe Marler, with Jack Whitehall also back.

When is Soccer Aid?

This year’s Soccer Aid will take place on Sunday, May 31 and will kick-off at 6:30pm.

It will be held at the London Stadium, home of West Ham United.

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Tickets are available from £20 for adults and £10 for juniors at socceraid.org.uk/tickets.

There will be a special 20th anniversary half-time performance, with the act yet to be announced.

Dermot Kennedy, Rita Ora and Robbie Williams, who will manage England this year, have previously performed at the event.

How to follow it

Fans can watch all of the action live and for free on ITV1 and online via ITVX.

It will also be live on talkSPORT for the fourth consecutive season. Ahead of the match, there will be two Drive shows, hosted by Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, broadcast live from the Soccer Aid training camp.

The first one, saw Rooney, Hart, Hiddlestone and Tim Cahill join the show, which also included a special appearance from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was asked if he would join in with training.

“If I walk into Prime Minister’s Questions on crutches, I think there’d be a lot of explaining to do,” he said, batting away the suggestion.

The second Drive show will be broadcast on Friday 29 May between 4pm and 7pm, which you can watch on the YouTube channel.

You can download and watch via the app, or on your smart TV and the talkSPORT YouTube channel where stars like Leonardo Bonucci, Jordi Alba and Rooney will chat to the nation alongside names from the entertainment world.

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AFP

Soccer Aid 2026: Line-ups

Along with Rooney, Bonucci and Defoe, actor Tom Hiddleston, singer Olly Murs and YouTuber Angry Ginge will be there.

Usain Bolt will manage the World XI at the same place where he won gold at the 2012 Olympics. Big Zuu, who won the 2025 match, will be playing under Bolt as will Beattie and Krieger.

More names will be confirmed in due course.

And, given it is 20 years since the first edition, a special 20th anniversary extended half-time entertainment show is expected to be announced.

England squad so far

More names are set to be revealed the closer we get to kick-off

Robbie Williams (manager)

Joe Hart (goalkeeper)

Joe Marler (goalkeeper)

Paddy McGuinness (goalkeeper)

GK Barry

Alex Brooker

Owen Cooper

Jermain Defoe

Toni Duggan

Angry Ginge

Tom Grennan

Tom Hiddleston

Steph Houghton

Damson Idris

Olly Murs

Jordan North

Wayne Rooney

Jill Scott

Sam Thompson

Theo Walcott

Joelon Lescott

What has been said?

“I’ve not won yet, so hopefully I can put that right this year,” Rooney told talkSPORT, explaining he is relishing playing against Alba and is looking forward to teaming up with Angry Ginge.

“You want to win. And I think the other celebrities outside of football bring that competitiveness to it because they want to win. It’s a massive occasion for them.

“And it’d be like me going and singing on stage in front of however many thousand people you want to do well.

“For all of them, they want to win. So that brings that edge to it. The matchday, everyone’s a little bit anxious. And you’re nervous for it.

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“But then the build-up to that, it’s great fun. Everyone’s together and sharing different stories and having a good time.”

Paddy’s milestone

The goalkeeper has been a constant presence in the England side and has had a number of memorable experiences, which include the downright bizarre like stopping at Greggs with Ronaldinho, Dida and Cafu.

“It’s just nuts,” he recalled to talkSPORT. “I remember one of my first games, I cut a ball out that was going to Figo and play carried on, and Figo then came over to me and went: ‘Excellent, great work’,” he beamed as he recalled the interaction with the Ballon d’Or winner.

“I just thought, bloody hell, this is Figo and we’re sharing a pitch with Zinedine Zidane!”

As a football fan, memories of playing with the very best to have played professionally will neve leave him.

“Even things in training that cameras never see. I was sitting in training having a drink and I watched Roy Keane and [former Milan midfielder] Clarence Seedorf pinging a ball to each other for a couple of minutes without it touching the floor.

“That is just poetry and I thought to myself ‘I could sit here all day watching this’.”

World XI squad

Managed by Usain Bolt, the World XI's hopes of another win look in good hands

Usain Bolt (manager)

Clarence Seedorf (manager)

Edwin van der Sar (goalkeeper)

Jordi Alba

Maisie Adam

Jen Beattie

Leonardo Bonucci

Richard Gadd

Ali Krieger

Nitro from Gladiators

Big Zuu

Michael Essien

Dimitar Berbatov

Nikolaj Coster Waldau

Nemanja Matic

Lukas Podolski

Behzinga 

Nicky Byrne

Molly McCann

Tim Cahill

Serial winner Bolt is targeting more gold in London. “I’ve seen the team sheet and am thrilled to have football greats like Jordi Alba and Leonardo Bonucci along with exciting talent from music, TV and film.

“We’re going for gold at the London Stadium and want to break records, raising as much money as possible to help UNICEF support children around the world. Everyone knows my record at the London Stadium. See you there, Robbie!”