Soccer Aid 2026 Early Lineups Revealed With Wayne Rooney Joined by Sports and Media Stars

Soccer Aid 2026 Early Lineups Revealed With Wayne Rooney Joined by Sports and Media Stars

As we get closer and closer to the day of Soccer Aid, we start to get some of the names that are announced and so far, the teams look full of stars both around the world of football and around the world of celebrities. So, let’s take a look at who is in each team and who they actually are giving a profile on each super star that has been announced.

England’s Team

⚽ The Soccer Aid line-ups have been announced for May 2026:

The England team will include:

▪️ Wayne Rooney
▪️ Jermain Defoe
▪️ Jill Scott
▪️ Toni Duggan
▪️ Theo Walcott
▪️ Joe Hart
▪️ Olly Murs
▪️ Owen Cooper
▪️ Paddy McGuinness
▪️ GK Barry
▪️ Alex Brooker
▪️ Angryginge
▪️ Tom… pic.twitter.com/wLkU5XUmxf

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) March 3, 2026

The England team has been fully announced for this year’s Soccer Aid and will be headed by star singer-songwriter Robbie Williams in the dugout.

Wayne Rooney

Where else to start than one of the most recognisable names on this list? Rooney doesn’t need much of an introduction, being an England legend and Manchester United's all-time top goal scorer. He will be the main man when they look to go forward and will be helping Robbie Williams from the pitch.

Jermain Defoe

From one iconic English striker to another, Defoe is yet another one of England’s great strikers. With 163 Premier League goals for clubs like West Ham Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur he will be the man to join Rooney in attack to cause many issues.

Jill Scott

We move from the men’s greatest to one of the greats of the woman’s game. Jill Scott was most well known for her time at Manchester City seeing success there as they started to develop into one of the best teams in the WSL. Playing in the middle, she will look to add some control and quality as they look to move the ball forward and control the game.

Toni Duggan

Another one of the great English players in the women’s game playing for some of the best teams in the world. Starting and ending her career at Everton, she would spend her prime at two elite clubs, including Manchester City and the dominant force Barcelona. Normally playing off the wing, we could see her playing a wide supporting role to Rooney and Defoe as well as cutting in and causing issues.

Theo Walcott

One of the best young talents that England has ever seen, Walcott will be another winger that England has at their disposal to use alongside Duggan. Most well-known for his time at Arsenal, his eclectic pace and direct running with his flair and skill, he will be a handful for the ex-pros, let alone the celebrities.

Joe Hart

We end the ex-professional footballers with England’s old number 1. Hart is one of the best goalkeepers the Premier League has seen. It will take a lot for him to be challenged, let alone beaten. He will allow for the England defence to have the confidence to try new things, as they know they will be able to trust him. The England and Manchester City number 1 is in.

Olly Murs

Our first celebrity is Olly Murs, an English singer-songwriter. He was first shown to the world when he auditioned on The X Factor, and now he has become one of the most famous English artists. This time he won’t be showing his singing ability but his footballing ability instead.

Owen Cooper

He has not even stepped on the pitch yet and he has broken a record. At just 16 years old, Owen Cooper is the youngest ever person to be selected for Soccer Aid. The actor announced himself in one of the most popular Netflix shows of 2025, Adolescence, and now will look to announce himself to the footballing world. We have seen him on the screen; now can we see him showing his ability on the pitch?

Paddy McGuinness

This man has done almost everything. He is a comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. However, now he looks to complete it by proving that he can play football. We’ve already seen his knowledge of cars on Top Gear; now can we see his knowledge in football when he takes a step onto the pitch? Hopefully we do.

GK Barry

Her legal name is Grace Eleanor Keeling, and she is a social media influencer who will be looking to promote herself and her footballing abilities. She first blew up when she joined Loose Women as a panellist and since then she has blown up even more. This year she will be looking to move from the TV screen to the football pitch and show everyone her ability on the pitch.

Alex Brooker

An English journalist and presenter. He will make the list of these big names playing for England in this match. After doing work with Channel 4, he will now be doing work with 10 other people as England looks to win. Can he incorporate his communication abilities into the pitch to help his team?

Angryginge

The King of the Jungle and one of the most famous content creators on the face of the planet. Ginge will look to play yet another charity match and show once again he isn’t just a streamer who talks about football but someone who can prove his ability. Most likely playing at the back, he will take something special to get past.

Tom Grennan

Another singer-songwriter to make this list. Tom Grennan first broke onto the scene in 2016 as a guest vocalist and then, two years later, released his first album. It peaked at number 5 in the UK charts and has the iconic song "Found What I’ve Been Looking For”. Will he become the singer who is the best at football? That is what he will be hoping and trying to prove on the pitch.

Tom Hiddleston

We have a God on the team with Tom Hiddleston. The man who portrayed Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be looking to prove himself on the pitch. From fighting the Avengers and destroying the world to fighting for England and winning the match, he will be looking to make this his most important battle to date.

Damson Idris

From acting on the F1 track to playing on the football pitch, he will be looking to prove a point and show he can do two very different sports. He has already shown he knows about sports drama now can he be an active part in an unscripted piece of sports drama as he looks to help England to a victory? Having played football growing up, the answer is likely yes.

Jordan North

English radio DJ and TV presenter Jordan North will be looking to step onto the pitch and show his ability to mix isn’t just limited to music. His mixing will now be needed on the pitch as he looks to help England secure a victory over the World Team.

Sam Thompson

One of Britain's biggest TV personalities makes this team, and he is yet another person who has faced the jungle in I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! However, his most well-renowned show was “Made in Chelsea”. He will be hoping that he is made in Chelsea with this as he looks to show his footballing abilities. Having gone through SAS training as one of his other shows, we know his mental strength is strong. Will he need it for this? We'll have to wait and see.

Joe Marler

Finally, we end with the muscle of the England team. Joe Marler is used to a pitch; however, his typical pitch allows the ball to be picked up and passed only backwards. A former rugby union player and someone who has represented the country before, he will be looking to show he can trade playing on one pitch for another as he tries his hand at a new sport.

Those are the 18 names that have been released for the England team. Some incredible ex-pros with some of England’s most famous celebrities. How will they cope against the team we’re about to go through? We'll have to see.

World XI Team

⚽ The Soccer Aid line-ups have been announced for May 2026:

The World XI team will include:

▪️ Jordi Alba
▪️ Leonardo Bonucci
▪️ Edwin Van Der Sar
▪️ Jen Beattie
▪️ Ali Krieger
▪️ Maisie Adam
▪️ Richard Gadd
▪️ Big Zuu
▪️ Nitro from Gladiators
▪️ Usain Bolt (Coach)

(Source:… pic.twitter.com/yvL2celjo1

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) March 3, 2026

Usain Bolt

He once tried his hand at football, playing a few matches as the world's fastest striker. However, now he returns to football, not as a player this time but as the manager. Will the world’s fastest man be able to make fast reactions to the game and help the World XI?

Jordi Alba

We started with the first legend of the team and what a legend it is. An ex-Barcelona player and one of the best full-backs to have ever played the game. Having retired from football only a few months ago, he is already making a return. He will be a handful and will be very difficult for both England’s wingers to try and beat.

Leonardo Bonucci

If one of the best defenders from the previous generation wasn’t enough, they have another. Not the most popular name in England after the Euro 2022 final, but you can’t deny his ability. Playing for teams like AC Milan and Juventus, Bonucci is one of the best defenders to have played the game and will be a wall for Defoe and Rooney to try and get past.

Edwin Van Der Sar

What a battle we have between the goalkeepers. For England, ex-Manchester City goalkeeper Hart; and for the World Team, ex-Manchester United goalkeeper. Once considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world and one of the greatest the Premier League has ever seen, does he still have it? He will be facing an old teammate; this time he will be trying to stop him. Can he do it?

Jen Beattie

The World XI look to finish their defence with Jen Beattie. A former Arsenal and WSL player who would play defence and midfield, she will be looking to control the game and stop any attacking threat England looks to have. However, she will also be causing her own attacking threat. She isn’t just well known for her defensive ability but also her offensive ability and could catch England out if they don’t know that.

Ali Krieger

The World XI will now look to finish this already stacked defence off. Ali Krieger is a former American professional who would often play as a right back. She will be looking to add quality and control from the right side of defence, trying to join Alba in stopping England’s ex-professional wingers from causing any issues. She might have her work cut out for her; however, she will not back down from that challenge and will look to prove she still has it.

Maisie Adam

An English stand-up comedian makes the first celebrity for the World XI. The questions might be asked about why she isn’t in the England team, and that could come back to haunt England. She will be looking to make England pay to prove that she is good enough and prove that they made a mistake not having her on their side.

Richard Gadd

We add another Scott to this team, and we now have a matchup between two of the star actors in Netflix's most popular shows. We have already seen one superstar on the England team; now we see the man who portrayed the main character for the hit show Baby Reindeer. What actor will come out on top, and what show had the better footballer cast?

Big Zuu

A man who has done everything in his career. He is a rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ and TV personality. He will now be looking to finish the collection and prove his footballing abilities. With the pros around him and his wide range of skills, it shouldn’t be a shock if we add football to his already impressive resume.

Nitro

We have the power of this team. Speed and strength – this man has both. He is a former Commonwealth sprinter for England before moving on to the hit show Gladiators. He will now be looking to move his fight on to his football pitch. More than likely playing as one of the forwards, he will be looking to cause a lot of issues with his speed and strength for England, especially with a man who is the fastest man on the planet as his manager.

These are the current names that we have for the World XI team, with 9 more still yet to be announced; however, they already have a very strong team mix with ability and entertaining characters. Overall, this will be an entertaining game, with England having the iconic attack and the World XI having the defence; we’ll have to see what celebrities add that little extra to the game.