Soccer Aid 2021 recruits James Arthur, Wayne Rooney and more, with Alex Scott set as co-host
The 2021 match will take place at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium in early September.
All eyes might be on the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament for now – but there's another big football event coming later in the year, with Soccer Aid returning for its tenth match.
The long-running charity match will once again see a mix of celebrities and legends from England take on a team representing the Rest Of The World, and there are some big names set to appear for the first time.
Former England international Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, and Fara Williams are among the ex-pros set to line-up for their Soccer Aid debuts, and they're joined by England's all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney who takes to the field after serving as manager for the 2020 event.
Speaking about his debut, legendary Manchester United right-back Neville said, "Just when I thought my days of being booed by City fans had passed! I’m hoping that my hamstrings hold out for more than five minutes, to be honest" and Rooney added, "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."
Meanwhile, former Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards, who will form part of the England coaching team for the first time this year, 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," while also teasing that "there are even more surprises to come!"
In terms of celebrities, former X-Factor winner James Arthur and musician Tom Grennan make their first appearances, while Usain Bolt, Olly Murs, Mark Wright, Paddy McGuinness, Ore Oduba, Kem Cetinay, Liv Cooke, Roman Kemp and Chunkz are among those to return.
Alex Scott joins previous host Dermot O'Leary on presenting duties, with the former England international reporting from the touchline in her first appearance as part of the Soccer Aid presenting team.
The match – which will be played at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Saturday 4th September – will not be taking place behind closed doors as was the case last year, with families of four able to attend for £60.
Read on for everything we know about Soccer Aid 2021 so far.
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Soccer Aid 2021 teams
As usual, the match will see England take on the Rest of the World – and some big names have already been unveiled in both squads.
Soccer Aid 2021 line-up
Among the former pros to appear for the first time at Soccer Aid for England will be Wayne Rooney, Fara Williams, Micah Richards, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, while returning faces include Kelly Smith, David James, Ashley Cole, Emile Heskey and Jamie Redknapp.
No new ex-pros for the Rest of the World team have been announced yet – but we do know that Brazilian star Roberto Carlos and former French international Patrice Evra will be lining up again.
Celebrity debutants include singers James Arthur and Tom Grennan, while returning famous faces include Usain Bolt, Olly Murs, Mark Wright, Paddy McGuinness, Ore Oduba, Kem Cetinay, Liv Cooke, Roman Kemp and Chunkz.
New names will continue to be announced in the run-up to the event – and we'll update this page as soon as any new players are unveiled.
Soccer Aid 2021 kick-off time
The official kick-off time has not been revealed yet, but the match will take place on Saturday 4th September at Manchester City's Etihad stadium.
The match normally kicks off in the evening – last year's coverage started at 6:30pm – so it seems safe to assume a similar time this year, but we will update this page when an official kick-off time is confirmed.
As usual, ITV will be showing full coverage of the match, but if you fancy taking in the event in person you can apply for tickets via www.socceraid.org.uk/tickets with a family of four able to attend for £60 – two adults and two children.
Soccer Aid 2021 commentators
The lead commentator for this year's event has not been revealed yet – but it's possible that Clive Tyldsley might be replaced after the veteran commentator came under fire for comments made during last year's event. We'll let you know when we hear any more information.
Soccer Aid 2021 hosts
Dermot O'Leary is once again on presenting duties, and he's joined this time by Alex Scott who will be reporting from the touchline throughout the evening.
Speaking about her role, Scott said, "Soccer Aid 2021 for UNICEF is going to be just brilliant. It’s great to be involved again, and of course co-presenting alongside Dermot is really exciting.
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
"It’ll be so special to be back in a stadium with fans again, and all for a great cause. Tickets are on sale now – see you in September!"
Meanwhile, TV and radio presenter Maya Jama will be returning as a pundit, after proving hugely popular with viewers in her first appearance last year.
Soccer Aid will air on ITV on Saturday 4th September 2021. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
