Soccer Aid 2026: Rooney, Defoe and Berbatov among stars set for London Stadium clash

Soccer Aid 2026 takes place on Sunday 31 May at West Ham’s London Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30pm BST. England face the World XI in the 15th edition of the annual Unicef charity fixture, which has raised more than £120m since its launch in 2006.

Last year’s event at Old Trafford generated over £15m for Unicef, with the World XI claiming victory largely thanks to Carlos Tevez, who scored four goals. That result extended the World XI’s overall lead in the series to 8-6.

England will be managed by singer Robbie Williams alongside former Tottenham and West Ham boss Harry Redknapp and former goalkeeper David Seaman. Their playing roster blends former professionals with celebrities: Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Jack Wilshere, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Theo Walcott, Steph Houghton, Toni Duggan and Joe Hart are among the ex-footballers involved, while actors Tom Hiddleston, Danny Dyer and Damson Idris, comedian Jack Whitehall, and YouTuber Angry Ginge are also named in the squad.

The World XI are managed by sprint legend Usain Bolt and former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf. Their squad features a strong contingent of former European club football stars, including Jordi Alba, Leonardo Bonucci, Lukas Podolski, Michael Essien, Dimitar Berbatov, Nemanja Matic and two-time World Cup winner Ali Krieger.

The match arrives just weeks before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving fans an early taste of international football nostalgia before the serious competition begins.