Match-worn poppy shirts from Salah, Haaland and more go to auction to raise funds for veterans

Signed, match-worn shirts bearing the red poppy emblem will go under the hammer this autumn as MatchWornShirt and the Royal British Legion launch their eighth consecutive Poppy Appeal auction, with all net proceeds directed to the RBL’s support programmes for Armed Forces veterans and their families.

Football clubs throughout the UK will wear shirts featuring the poppy emblem during fixtures across the appeal window, which runs from 22 October to Armistice Day on 11 November. Once each match concludes, the shirts are signed by the players who wore them and listed for auction exclusively through the MatchWornShirt platform.

The partnership has now raised well over £4 million for the Poppy Appeal since it began. Last year’s auction illustrated the demand: Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool shirt from the match against Aston Villa topped the 2025 sale, while Erling Haaland’s shirt appeared twice in the top five — from Manchester City’s fixtures against Liverpool and Bournemouth. Elliott Anderson’s shirt from Nottingham Forest’s game against Leeds United fetched more than £5,800.

Ben France, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the Royal British Legion, highlighted the human cost behind the campaign. “When a partner or parent serves, they often spend months away at a time, missing birthdays, anniversaries and first days at school,” he said. “The impact on family life is the top reason for serving personnel considering leaving their job. The RBL is there to support armed forces families during and after service, providing guidance during deployment, helping with financial hardship, support after a bereavement, or caring for a loved one in old age.”

This year’s Poppy Appeal centres on the theme that when someone serves, their entire family serves alongside them — facing unique pressures and sacrifices that extend well beyond the individual in uniform.

James Flude, Head of Business at MatchWornShirt, said the response from the football community had grown steadily over the eight years of the collaboration. “We’ve really seen our community get behind this partnership, and last year showed how much fans value these shirts. Every shirt carries the poppy, and every bid helps ensure vital support continues for veterans and service personnel.”

The red poppy has been worn as a symbol of Remembrance for more than a century, and the annual shirt auction has become one of the more tangible ways football supporters can contribute directly to the RBL’s work.