Soccer Aid teases Robbie Williams' pitch return for first time in nine years with major clue
ROBBIE Williams looks set to return to the Soccer Aid pitch for the first time in nine years.
The star-studded
charity
event, which is in aid of Unicef, takes place tonight with
England
once again going head to head with a Rest of the World XI.
Read The Sun's live Soccer Aid blog here
3
Robbie Williams could be back on the Soccer Aid pitch tonight
Credit: Rex Features
3
His shirt is hanging up in the Old Trafford changing room
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Ahead of kick-off, an
England
shirt with 'Williams' and the number 3 on the back was pictured in the
Old Trafford
changing room suggesting the pop star will play a part in the match.
This comes after Robbie's name was omitted from the official list of players on the
Soccer Aid
site.
There's also been no mention of the 51-year-old playing a role in the game in the build-up.
READ MORE ON SOCCER AID
The singer wrapped up the UK leg of his Britpop tour last night in Bath and now has four days until he's due to perform in Copenhagen,
Denmark
.
Footy fan Robbie co-created the huge sporting spectacle with his close pal Jonathan Wilkes. The first one took place in 2006.
Since then, it's got bigger and bigger and has raised a staggering £106m.
Robbie came on as an 83rd-minute substitute in 2016 when England triumphed 3-2 in front of 70,000 fans.
Most read in Football
Two years later he withdrew with an injury. England won that match on penalties after drawing 3-3.
He performed his 90s anthem Angels during half-time at the
London
Stadium in 2022 when the World XI triumphed on penalties.
This year's event sees
boxing
star Tyson Fury managing England alongside Wayne Rooney.
Soccer Aid 2025 announce late call-up for Brazil legend, 53, just hours before kick-off
Pitch time would cap off an incredible week for Robbie which saw him unveiled as Official
FIFA
Music Ambassador.
His first contribution is Desire – the first official FIFA anthem – which will be played as teams walk onto the pitch at every FIFA match worldwide.
Robbie wrote and recorded the track alongside long-time collaborators Karl
Brazil
, Owen Parker and Erik Jan Grob.
It
features
vocals from Italian singer Laura Pausini and was produced by Karl and Owen, with mixing by Richard Flack.
The former X Factor judge said: 'Music and
football
bring people together like nothing else.
"Football and music have both been part of my life for as long as I can remember, so this means a lot to me on a personal level.'
It will accompany every official FIFA tournament, including the FIFA World Cup 26 and
future
global fixtures.
3
Robbie has been confirmed as the Official FIFA Music Ambassador
Credit: Supplied
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The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Soccer Aid World XI player ratings: Carlos Tevez and Big Zu steal the show but Ballon d'Or winner humbled by Angry Ginge
IT was the night Angry Ginge took on Rivaldo, and Manchester United fans had an even angrier whinge about old boy Carlos Tevez. Celebs mixed with footballing legends for sell-out Soccer Aid at 9 Carloz Tevez was the World X1's match-turning four-goal sub Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 9 Angry Ginge had a sensational all-round game in England's midfield Credit: AFP And despite all the big ex-Prem names - with stars like Here's our verdict on how EVER player fared as £15,280,163 was raised for Unicef . JOE HART (Goalkeeper) - 9 A quality performance from the Ex- LOUIS TOMLINSON (Defender) - 8 The most popular man in Old Trafford from start to finish, READ MORE IN FOOTBALL What makes Louis beautiful as a footballer is that he didn't let the occasion get the better of him, he perfected the Little Things , being Ready to Run down the right and link up with his teammates, he was Strong on the ball and tenacious off of it. He'll no doubt be Up All Night dreaming of that almost Perfect performance with his footballing career only heading in One Direction , up. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK ANGRY GINGE - 10 An insane Micky Van de Ven-like block saved his side early in the first half in what was a sensational performance from the Manchester-born and bred lad. Most read in Football Another fan favourite here, and rightly so, slide tackles galore, almost always perfectly timed and comfortable on the ball too. Westlife star Nicky Byrne makes incredible Soccer Aid double save.. His aerial dominance allowed him to pick up an assist on his home turf from a corner, which Jermain Defoe smashed into the roof of the net to make it 3-0. Class act. GARY NEVILLE (Defender) - 9 Solid at the back as he was for his many years playing here in his career. No nonsense, calm and composed on the ball and showed all of his class and experience in the first half in what was a classy performance from the right-back turned centre-back. If 'no one wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville' after that showing, I'd urge them to re-watch his Soccer Aid 2025 highlight reel. Unfortunately for him, he was marginally outshone by Angry Ginge next to him. TOM GRENNAN (Defender/Midfielder) - 8 After a masterclass performance at Stamford Bridge last year, Tom Grennan proved that he is up there with the Best a Man Can Get. Came very close to scoring a thunderbolt from left-back, and put in some crunching tackles in a solid defensive performance for his side. With the curls in his hair it was a performance reminiscent of Marc Cucurella at Chelsea this season before he moved into an advanced midfielder position in the second half. ALEX BROOKER (Defender) - 6 By all means, solid at the back on the left side of the pitch for his country. JACK WILSHERE (Midfielder) - 9 A maestro in the middle, this is a guy who ran the show against prime Iniesta and Xavi when he was 19-years-old and didn't look like he'd aged a bit out there. A great touch, silky feet and the same eye for a pass he always had. 9 Jack Wilshere saw counterpart Noah Beck give as good as he got Credit: Getty 9 Jill Scott was also excellent in the England midfield Credit: PA JILL SCOTT (Midfielder) - 8 Looked a class above the midfielders for the World XI, with her distribution impeccable and showing great ability on the half-turn too. The MICHAEL CARRICK (Midfielder) - 6 A solid showing in midfield for England, but was outshone by the brilliance of Jill Scott and Jack Wilshere alongside him. Did what was required of him, always moving the ball on quickly and acting as something as a metronome for his side. BELLA RAMSEY (Winger) - 5 A fairly quiet showing from the left-sided attacker. Amazing in Game of Thrones though, so who's the real winner? Not me... JAMES NELSON-JOYCE (Winger) - 5 Didn't particularly stand out. WAYNE ROONEY (Striker) - 9 It was only right that he opened the scoring with a neat finish into the bottom left corner, which became the fastest goal in Soccer Aid history, much to the delight of the Old Trafford crowd. 9 Wayne Rooney made history with his early opener Credit: Reuters SUBS TONI DUGGAN (Striker) - 9 A superb finish into the bottom left corner in the first half doubled her side's lead with expert timing right before the whistle blew to signal the end of the opening 45. DENISE LEWIS (Winger) - 5 A hard-working showing from the former athlete who looked every bit as fit as she did in her athletic peak. MO FARAH (Defender) - 6 Only spent a short time on the pitch this year, but was dependable when he was on. AARON LENNON (Winger) - 9 Unplayable. His link-up with Jermain Defoe would have put a smile on the face of any Spurs fan, with his electric pace and quick feet proving impossible for even Billy Wingrove to keep up with. One of England's best players on the night. JERMAIN DEFOE (Striker) - 9 A striker's finish followed an expert header from Angry Ginger following a corner after he'd seen his effort saved minutes earlier. Scored again in the second half, combining brilliantly with Aaron Lennon to become the top goalscorer in Soccer Aid history as he went goal for goal with Carlos Tevez in a thrilling second 45. STEVEN BARTLETT (Winger) - 5 After starring last year at Stamford Bridge and getting the MOTM award, it was a quieter night for the Huel-fuelled England winger. Not bad by any means on the left but was looked after for the most part by Nemanja Vidic and John O'Shea. PHIL JAGIELKA (Defender) - 4 Not a bad showing, but he was unfortunate to come on at the same time as Carlos Tevez, who was quite frankly too hot to handle for any England defender. PADDY MCGUINNESS (Goalkeeper) - 1 After such a solid showing from Joe Hart it unfortunately fell on the shoulders of Paddy McGuinness to follow that up. A good effort from the lad and it feels harsh to rate someone so low, but with five goals conceded and failing to stop Big Zuu's winner it's hard to rate him higher. 9 Paddy McGuinness at least held on here as Robbie Keane looked on Credit: Getty STEPH HOUGHTON (Defender) - 5 A quiet but solid showing from the England and Man City legend. SAM QUEK (Midfielder) - 5 Came close to scoring in the second half shortly after coming on, but was unable to do so and couldn't really impact the game much other than that. ROMAN KEMP (Defender) - 5 Formed a good partnership with Angry Ginge on the right side of the England defence. SAM THOMPSON (Midfielder) - 7 Came on with just a few minutes to go to a huge applause after pulling out of the game with injury. Didn't get the fairytale ending to his story he perhaps deserved after his mammoth cycle from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford, but gets a seven based on his huge fundraising effort and coming onto the pitch to try and help his team in the dying moments. He'll surely be back next year for revenge. WORLD XI EDWIN VAN DER SAR (Goalkeeper) - 4 Failed to claim a deep cross that was whipped into the box in the first half, allowing Wayne Rooney to open the scoring and was then unable to stop Toni Duggan's great finish into the same corner. Swapped at half-time as the Soccer Aid goalkeepers always are, which made the World XI appreciate how lucky they were to have him in goal in the first half. TONY BELLEW (Defender) - 5 Replaced within six minutes due to injury by Gorka Marquez, hobbled off the pitch and down the Old Trafford tunnel to great applause. Soldier. NEMANJA VIDIC (Defender) - 9 Solid at the back for his side as he was for so many years at Old Trafford, that said, Richard Gadd was no Rio Ferdinand next to him. Looked good at the back and solid on the ball too when needing to progress it forward, throwing it back to the good old days with a crunching tackle on Steven Bartlett - any market rivals of Huel would've loved that. 9 Majestic World XI centre-back Nemanja Vidic successfully got to grips with former Man Utd team-mate Rooney and Co Credit: Shutterstock Editorial RICHARD GADD (Defender) - 4 As the star of Baby Reindeer you'd think he's used to checking his shoulder for someone who might be following him, but that wasn't the case as Toni Duggan ghosted past him to slot home England's second goal. JOHN O'SHEA (Defender) - 6 Was solid on the right-hand side of defence for his team, and did a job on Steven Bartlett who was man of the match for England at Stamford Bridge last year. HARRY KEWELL (Defender) - 4 Came off early in the first half in what was a shy performance from the Aussie great. KHEIRA HAMRAOUI (Midfielder) - 3 A quiet showing from the midfielder who was kept quiet by Jill Scott. DERMOT KENNEDY (Defender) - 8 Gets bonus points for a simply incredible half-time performance that brought large parts of the Old Trafford crowd to tears - not for the first time this season. His on-pitch performance wasn't half bad either, with some great touches and strong tackles throughout. DIAMOND (Winger) - 2 Had a job done on her by the impermeable England defence, the gladiator was crunched early on by Tom Grennan and never looked the same after that. It was, unfortunately, her poor touch that allowed Wayne Rooney to open the scoring. RIVALDO (Midfield/Attack) - 3 The Brazilian legend - and former Ballon d'Or winner - once shared a dressing room with R9 Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, taking on the likes of Paolo Maldini in his heyday, but now getting the better of Angry Ginge seemed a step too far. Showed some silky touches and good passes at times, but was ultimately disappointing for a man who had so much quality in his prime. 9 Rivaldo fended off Toni Duggan here but often struggled Credit: Shutterstock Editorial DAVID TREZEGUET (Striker) - 3 A quiet evening from the French striker, didn't create anything and the impact of Carlos Tevez highlighted that more than anything. SUBS MAISIE ADAM (Midfielder) - 5 A quiet showing from the comedian. NOAH BECK (Midfielder) - 9 Taught most of the old folks out there a lesson with incredible feet and a great touch, looking like a natural on the Old Trafford turf. It's hard to watch him as a man and not pale in insignificance, as he does have it all, from the looks to the footballing ability. Forced Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville into tactical fouls on the influential midfielder, in an expert showing from start to finish, where he was all over the pitch. Nicky Byrne (Goalkeeper) - 8 After his introduction at half-time, he had a chaotic start to the match with two incredible stops to deny Jermaine Defoe and Steven Bartlett before avoiding a red card for saving the ball with his hands OUTSIDE the box - a very clever move knowing that he wouldn't be sent off. When it was all said and done, though, it was a solid performance from the replacement keeper, who managed to concede the same number of goals as Edwin Van der Sar, and may well have won the game for his side with a few of his crucial moments. Tobjizzle (Midfielder) - 6 Was unable to get the goal he would've liked at his beloved Old Trafford, but a handful for the England defence after coming on and shows flashes of the flair and skill we know he's got in his locker. Bryan Habana (Winger) - 4 The South-African rugby star didn't make much of an impact. BILLY WINGROVE (Defender) - 3 Was given a torrid time by Aaron Lennon as he played left-back for the World XI. Has bags of skill and ability and perhaps would've been better off placed in attack for his side. CARLOS TEVEZ (Striker) - 10 Wow. This guy is a joke. Carlos Tevez and his bulldog-like approach have still got it. The man who became an enemy on this turf by moving from United to City lit up Old Trafford with a stunning performance after coming on at half-time, scoring twice early in the second half to drag his side back in the game before completing his hat-trick with a free-kick past Paddy McGuinness. His second and fourth goals in particular were works of art, ducking and diving through multiple England players before finishing with aplomb, and putting Angry Ginge in a blender for the fourth. A joy to watch. 9 Tevez cupped his ear at a ground where he's notorious Credit: Shutterstock Editorial BIG ZUU (Midfielder) - 10 Forget 'Siuuuu' it's all about 'ZUUUUUUUUU' from now on. Big Zuu picked up where Carlos Tevez left off, proving that this guy really can do anything. Bagged the winning goal with a left-footed strike at the near post that sent the crowd into raptures as he then performed his now signature celebration, sorry CR7. ROBBIE KEANE (Striker) - 7 Was mistakenly introduced to the Old Trafford crowd as the beloved Roy Keane, but was instrumental in his side's second-half remontada, showing a great link-up with Carlos Tevez. LEONARDO BONUCCI (Defender) - 4 Not a popular man on English soil after scoring the goal that cancelled out Luke Shaw's opener in the Euro's final, and played as if the pressure had got to him. The crowd had high hopes for the Italian legend, but would be beaten by Angry Ginge to a spot in the Soccer Aid best XI this year. KAELYN KYLE (Midfielder) - 5 The athletic midfielder showed flashes of good play with some nice passes and touches but was a victim of the quality of the England midfield. Soccer Aid 2025 Soccer Aid is on TONIGHT as legendary footballers and A-listers raise money for Unicef in one of the most exciting matches of the year! Here's everything you need to know for the big game... Soccer Aid 2025 LIVE - Follow all the action and reaction as it happens Info: All the info for Soccer Aid 2025 Who is playing this year? Why is Usain Bolt not playing this year? Latest news and features:
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Man City ready to take huge loss on Jack Grealish with Napoli deciding between him and Man Utd exile Garnacho
NAPOLI have £45million to spend on Jack Grealish or Alejandro Garnacho — but they will not take both. The Italian champs laid down the law to Manchester rivals 6 Jack Grealish is set to leave Man City this summer Credit: Getty 6 Alejandro Garnacho is like to depart Old Trafford Credit: Getty United want £70m for Garnacho but are yet to receive an offer for the 20-year-old However, City will be prepared to accept a fee of around £45m for Grealish, 29, who Pep Guardiola axed SunSport understands Napoli would love to reunite Grealish with City legend Kevin De Bruyne, who signed a two-year deal on Thursday to end a trophy-laden ten years at the Etihad. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Grealish, who became England's first £100m player when he signed from However, it is unlikely City would receive a £45m offer from a Premier League club — meaning a loan would be his only option to stay in England. Prem sides would also be unlikely to pay Grealish's £230,000-a-week wages in full. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 6 Antonio Conte guided Napoli to the Serie A title Credit: Getty Guardiola snubbed him in key games at the end of the season, including for the 1-0 FA Cup final defeat to The City boss preferred to hand 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri his debut and leave Grealish on the bench as his side desperately chased a leveller in the closing stages at Wembley. Jack Grealish has gone from eye-catching showman and heartthrob to miserable bench warmer - and I know who's to blame It cost Grealish a place in Tuchel's squad for England's recent 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Andorra and 3-1 friendly defeat to Garnacho would prefer to stay in the Premier League but United's £70m price tag has put off suitors. The Argentine winger was left out of Ruben Amorim's starting line-up for the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham and only went on as a late substitute. Boss Amorim then told Garnacho to find a new club this summer. 6 6 Meanwhile, Inter are interested in taking the 22-year-old to the San Siro on loan next season, with a view to a permanent deal in 2026. United would prefer the cash now as they look to give the manager extra funds to make changes. Former Atalanta forward Hojlund scored just four Prem goals last season — ten in all competitions — and looked short of confidence by the end. Yet his stock remains high in Italy and Inter are looking to take him back to Serie A — although they are reluctant to stump up United's £38m asking price. 6
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Sam Thompson makes surprise Soccer Aid appearance as he comes on as a sub just days after pulling out with injury
SOCCER Aid fans were treated to a surprise Sam Thompson appearance - as he came on as a sub just days after pulling out. The Sun revealed Sam, 32, ue to injuries sustained in his epic marathon challenge. 4 Sam Thompson made a surprise Soccer Aid appearance Credit: Getty 4 He had been announced to have pulled out due to injury Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 4 Sam with his teammate Tom Grennan Credit: Getty He made . Despite this, the former Made in Chelsea star ultimately did join his teammates on the pitch. It meant he played in the same England side as One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, 33, who is now dating . The in December, with Zara moving on with Louis . Read more on Soccer Aid at Soccer Aid HQ in Tring, Herts, where the England and Rest of the World teams are preparing for the match. In the end, World XI ultimately claimed the win courtesy of a goal from Big Zuu. Regarding Sam's initial exit, a source said previously: 'Sam is gutted he can't play, but the match has just come too soon since his efforts. 'He's still going to be a presence and play a big part in the coverage but he won't be able to compete on the field.' Most read in News TV The source added: 'There is a small blessing in his withdrawal as the focus on him and Louis will disperse. 'Their every move will be watched so it's a relief in some ways they won't be on the pitch together.' Sam Thompson breaks silence on injury that forced him out of Soccer Aid and says he had to be 'carried' to physio room England team, with other stars such as Mo Farah, Alex Brooker and Elsewhere, Paddy McGuinness was Hollywood legend. The presenter - who played in goal for England 's team- posed for a picture with Julia Roberts. Paddy captioned: "Just chilling with Jules. @juliaroberts @socceraid #legend #icon." Soccer Aid 2025 Soccer Aid is on TONIGHT as legendary footballers and A-listers raise money for Unicef in one of the most exciting matches of the year! Here's everything you need to know for the big game... Soccer Aid 2025 LIVE - Follow all the action and reaction as it happens Info: All the info for Soccer Aid 2025 Who is playing this year? Why is Usain Bolt not playing this year? Latest news and features: A follower commented: "As you do. She's just a girl sat in front of a boy", referencing Julia's role in Notting Hill." Another wrote: "This photo makes me ridiculously happy! Absolute stars!" A third shared: "You are a lucky lucky man." While a fourth wrote: "Can't believe she's there." 4 Paddy McGuinness shared a selfie with Julia Roberts Credit: Instagram
