Soccer Aid 2021: start time, how to watch this year’s game and what to expect

Soccer Aid is an annual football game organised by the global charity UNICEF which pits an England XI against a World XI in a duel at an iconic stadium in the UK

Soccer Aid 2021 is back on our screens this weekend, with a new cohort of celebrities ready to fight it out once more.

The Unicef (also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund) charity game will pit a varied assortment of iconic names against one another in an entertaining clash watched by millions each year.

Sven Goran Eriksson will manage an England team captained by Olly Murs, against Harry Redknapp’s World XI led by none other than Usain Bolt.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Soccer Aid 2021?

This year’s Soccer Aid takes place on Saturday 4 September, kicking off at 7.30pm BST at the Etihad Stadium.

It’s the first time Soccer Aid has been played on a Saturday.

The annual game has always been played in June but coronavirus restrictions saw last year’s clash move back to September.

Now that date slot has carried over into 2021.

How can I watch Soccer Aid?

The match will be shown on ITV and STV, with coverage beginning at 6.30pm.

What is Soccer Aid?

Soccer Aid is an annual football game organised by the global charity Unicef which pits an England XI against a World XI in a duel at an iconic stadium in the UK.

The teams are made up of former professional football stars, ranging from former England internationals to revered foreign superstars, and celebrities with little-to-zero football experience.

Several celebs over the years have played football at a low level but never professionally.

Who is playing?

The England team includes singer Olly Murs, radio presenter Mark Wright, TV presenter Paddy McGuinness, Olympic gold medallists Mo Farah and Max Whitlock, comedians Lee Mack and Joel Dommett and football freestyler Liv Cooke, as well as former international players Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Kelly Smith, Fara Williams, David James and Jamie Redknapp.

The world XI includes sprint legend Usain Bolt, who briefly took up football after his athletics career, DJ Roman Kemp, as well as former players Roberto Carlos, Pablo Zabaleta, Shay Given, Rivaldo, Nigel de Jong, and Partrice Evra.

Harry Redknapp is manager of the World XI, while Micah Richards and David Seaman will assist England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson