Soccer Aid is a British charity annual event that has raised over £38 million in aid of UNICEF UK, through ticket sales and donations from the public. The televised event is a friendly-style football match between two teams, England and the Soccer Aid World XI, composed of celebrities and former professional players representing their countries. Soccer Aid was initiated in 2006 by Robbie Williams and Freddy Shepherd. It initially took place every two years, however, from the 2018 edition, it is now held annually. It is produced by Initial and distributed by Endemol Shine Sport, a Dutch company that distributes Dutch Eredivisie coverage. Television coverage began on ITV on 22 May 2006 in a show presented by Ant & Dec. Dermot O'Leary took over as main presenter in 2010. The England team lead the head-to-head with 5 wins to the ROW/World XI's 4 wins. On 16 June 2019, the fixture was the first to include female players as part of the squads.
| Genre | Charity event |
| Created by | Robbie Williams, Freddy Shepherd |
| Presented by | Ant & Dec (2006–08), Dermot O'Leary (2010–present), Kirsty Gallacher (2010–2020), Alex Scott (2021–present), Backstage, Cat Deeley (2012–14), Regular Pundit, Maya Jama (2020–present) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Location(s) | Old Trafford, Greater Manchester (2006, 2010–18, 2020), Wembley Stadium, London (2008), Stamford Bridge, Fulham, London (2019), Etihad Stadium, Manchester (2021) |
| Production company(s) | Initial |
| Distributor | Endemol Shine Sport |
| Original network | ITV, Virgin Media Sport |
About Soccer Aid
Biennial British charity football event in which two teams of celebrities and ex-legends, England and the World Eleven (WXI) (formerly Rest of the World until 2018), compete against one another.
Achievement of Soccer Aid
More than £20 million in aid had been raised for UNICEF UK. It takes place at Old Trafford stadium in Greater Manchester. It was created by Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Soccer Aid
World XI - The World XI, also known as the FIFA World Stars, is an association football team consisting of players from various countries. The World XI play one-off games against clubs, national teams, collectives of continental teams.. Charity events in the United Kingdom.. UNICEF.. Biennial events.
Latest information about Soccer Aid updated on July 28 2021.
