Get ready for some fun football! Soccer Aid for UNICEF is back this Sunday, May 31st, with a special 20th-anniversary match at London Stadium. Alex Scott and Dermot O’Leary will be hosting, and ITV is celebrating the milestone with a week of related shows leading up to the game.
Since it first began in 2006, Soccer Aid has grown into a major charity event in Britain. Every year, it teams up celebrities, famous athletes, and football heroes to raise money for UNICEF and help children in need globally.
ITV celebrated the occasion with a special hour-long documentary called More Than Just a Game, which explored the history of the charity match. The program included appearances from celebrities like Olivia Colman, Robbie Williams, Ant & Dec, Jill Scott, Sir Mo Farah, Vicky McClure, and Tom Hiddleston, who shared their personal experiences supporting the charity.
The anniversary festivities kicked off early with Bullseye for Soccer Aid, hosted by Freddie Flintoff, which was broadcast on Saturday, May 23rd. The special featured a darts competition between celebrity pairings – Olly Murs and Mark Wright versus Kym Marsh and Jon Richardson – all to raise extra money for UNICEF.
ITV is also showing special themed episodes of popular game shows like The Chase, Lingo, and Tipping Point. Plus, singer Olly Murs is taking on a tough physical challenge before the football match, featured in a new show called Olly Murs Steps Into The Unknown, which will air on Friday, May 29th.
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I’m so excited for Soccer Aid 2026! ITV just announced the full team, and it’s looking great. Some of my favorites like Hiddleston, Alex Brooker, Sam Thompson, and even Angry Ginge from I’m a Celebrity are coming back, but there are also a bunch of new players joining the fun this year, which is awesome!
I’m really excited about Jordan North joining the show! He’s said he’s not going to hold back at all and is planning to fully participate – he even promised he won’t avoid any challenges, and is ready to ‘get stuck in’ and face everything head-on. Sounds like he’s going to be a great addition!
Chloe Burrows, known from reality TV, is also competing this year. Interestingly, she actually has some football experience, having played the sport semi-professionally when she was younger, unlike many of the other celebrities participating.
She said she hoped to do some passing during the game! She was really excited to play and hoped the skills she learned years ago would come back naturally, just like riding a bike.
GK Barry, a social media personality, seemed a bit unsure about how well she’d perform. When asked what fans could expect, she playfully said to anticipate “pathetic arms flying everywhere!” and maybe a good ponytail or a header, adding that people should keep their expectations very low.
This year’s Soccer Aid lineup just got a boost with Owen Cooper, the popular young actor from Adolescence, who will be playing for the first time this Sunday. He’s joining other new players like Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known for his role in Game of Thrones.
So without futher ado, here is the full line-up for this year’s Soccer Aid match.
England Soccer Aid team:
- Alex Brooker
- Angry Ginge
- Big Zuu
- Chloe Burrows
- Damson Idris
- GK Barry
- Jermain Defoe
- Jill Scott
- Jack Wilshere
- Jack Whitehall
- Joe Hart
- Joe Marler
- Jordan North
- Olly Murs
- Owen Cooper
- Paddy McGuinness
- Robbie Williams
- Sam Thompson
- Steph Houghton
- Theo Walcott
- Tom Hiddleston
- Tom Grennan
- Wayne Rooney
World XI Soccer Aid team:
- Ali Krieger
- Behzinga
- Chris O’Dowd
- Dermot Kennedy
- Dimitar Berbatov
- Edwin van der Sar
- Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
- Jen Beattie
- Jordi Alba
- Leonardo Bonucci
- Maisie Adam
- Michael Essien
- Nabhaan Rizwan
- Nemanja Matic
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
- Nicky Byrne
- Richard Gadd
- Simon Neil
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2026-05-27 01:50