Robbie Williams, Usain Bolt, Liam Payne among line-up for eSoccer Aid FIFA 2020 tournament
England's next friendly face-off against the Soccer Aid World XI is unlike any that have come before it...
A number of big name stars including musician Robbie Williams and Olympian Usain Bolt will take part in a live streamed FIFA tournament to benefit Unicef, organised by Soccer Aid.
Soccer Aid is an annual charity football match between two teams, England and the Soccer Aid World XI, both comprised of celebrities and former professional football players.
The game is usually held in June but could not go ahead this month due to the coronavirus pandemic, so this digital alternative is being used as a substitute in the short term.
The tournament will be broadcast live on the EA Sports FIFA Twitch channel for anyone to watch and kicks off at 5pm (BST) on Saturday 27th June, with eight matches set to take place across the evening.
Viewers are encouraged to donate what they can to Unicef, who are fighting the spread of coronavirus and helping to limit the impact on children's lives. Every £1 donated on the night will be matched by the UK government.
Joining Williams and Bolt at this year's competition are singers Liam Payne and Olly Murs, Olympic athlete Sir Mo Farah, Hollywood actor James McAvoy, as well as football freestyler and presenter Liv Cooke.
Usain Bolt said: "I’m excited to be able to captain the side again, albeit in a slightly different setting. It’s incredible to see Soccer Aid World XI FC in the game and I can’t wait to get going in eSoccer Aid for Unicef playing with the team. I’m looking forward to seeing Robbie and catching up with him as we play. I hope everyone enjoys watching and remembers to donate!"
The famous faces will play each other individually, but they will be representing either England or the Soccer Aid World XI and their results will contribute to deciding which team is named champion overall.
Here's a full list of the night's fixtures (England v Soccer Aid World XI):
Fixture 1 at 5:20pm: Tekkz v Ollelito
Fixture 2 at 5:55pm: Liam Payne v James McAvoy (hosted by Jessie Ware)
Fixture 3 at 6:30pm: Jeremy Lynch v Billy Lingrove (hosted by Laura Whitmore)
Fixture 4 at 7:05pm: Liv Cooke v Elz the Witch (hosted by Laura Whitmore)
Fixture 5 at 7:40pm: Sir Mo Farah v Iain Stirling (hosted by Maya Jama)
Fixture 6 at 8:15pm: Olly Murs v Roman Kemp (hosted by Maya Jama)
Fixture 7 at 8:5opm: TBC v TBC (hosted by Mark Wright)
Fixture 8 at 9:25pm: Robbie Williams v Usain Bolt (hosted by Iain Stirling)
Soccer Aid remains committed to hosting a real-life charity football match later in the year, following the postponement of their planned event at Manchester United's Old Trafford.
If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.