Friendly football is officially back as Soccer Aid for UNICEF returns to screens this Sunday (31 May) for a huge anniversary edition live from London Stadium. Hosted by Alex Scott and Dermot O'Leary, this year's charity match marks 20 years since the celebrity football event first launched - and ITV is going all out to celebrate the milestone with a week of special programming ahead of kick-off.
Since debuting in 2006, Soccer Aid has become one of Britain's biggest annual charity events, bringing together celebrities, athletes and football legends to raise money for UNICEF and support vulnerable children around the world.
To mark the milestone, ITV aired a special one-hour documentary, More Than Just a Game, which delved deep into the charity match's history. It also featured stars including Olivia Colman, Robbie Williams, Ant & Dec, Jill Scott, Sir Mo Farah, Vicky McClure and Tom Hiddleston, who all reflected on their experiences supporting the charity over the years.
The anniversary celebrations began even earlier with Bullseye for Soccer Aid, fronted by Freddie Flintoff, which aired on Saturday (23 May). The special saw celebrity pairs Olly Murs and Mark Wright take on Kym Marsh and Jon Richardson in a darts competition to raise additional funds for UNICEF.
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Elsewhere, ITV is also airing themed editions of The Chase, Lingo and Tipping Point, among other staples, while singer-songwriter Murs is undertaking a physically gruelling challenge ahead of match day in Olly Murs Steps Into The Unknown, which airs on Friday (29 May).
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With the big match just days away, ITV has officially revealed the full line-up for Soccer Aid 2026 - including several major new additions. Returning celebrity players include Hiddleston, Alex Brooker, Sam Thompson and I'm a Celebrity winner Angry Ginge, but a number of fresh faces are making their debut this year alongside them.
Presenter Jordan North is among the newcomers joining the celebrity squad and has already promised he won't shy away from action, with the star teasing that he'll "get stuck in" and won't be "backing out of any tackles".
Reality TV star Chloe Burrows also joins this year's game - and unlike some of her fellow celebrities, she already has genuine football experience behind her, having played at a semi-professional level in her teenage years.
"I would like to think I will pass the ball a few times!" she said. "I can't wait to play, I'm really excited, so I hope that my football skills from years and years ago come out and it's like riding a bike again"
Social media personality GK Barry, however, appeared slightly less convinced about her own abilities. Asked what fans should expect from her performance, she joked: "Pathetic arms flying everywhere! I'd say a snatched ponytail, maybe a header. Put your expectations of me on the floor."
Another major addition to this year's celebrity side comes in the form of Adolescence breakout star Owen Cooper, who will make his Soccer Aid debut this Sunday, much like Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
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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