Soccer Aid 2019 Predictions and Betting Tips: Can England Topple the Rest of the World XI Again?
Born in the south east of Ireland, Simon put his life-long love of football to good use when he started a successful independent blog in 2010. That opened up an alternative route to a career in journalism, and having had work published across a number of sites and publications, Simon joined the staff at Spotlight Sports Group in 2018.
Soccer Aid is back! On Sunday June 16th, the 8th iteration of the world’s biggest charity football match will be contested at Stamford Bridge in London.
An England squad made up of celebrities and ex-players will take on a selection of former footballing superstars and international household names from around the globe at Chelsea’s home in West London to raise money for the children’s charity UNICEF.
Having beaten the Rest of the World XI in 2016 and 2018, England will be aiming to complete a hattrick of wins against their cosmopolitan counterparts this weekend, and the hosts are the bookmakers’ early favourites to do so.
Read our new 2019/20 Premier League fixtures guide with key dates and games to look out for here.
Who is playing in Soccer Aid 2019?
England XI
England are managed by experienced former Premier League and national team manager Sam Allardyce, and Big Sam is joined in the Three Lions dugout by TV presenter Susanna Reid and host of The Chase, Bradley Walsh.
Check out England’s full squad listing below:
Robbie Williams – Soccer Aid co-founder
John Terry – Former Chelsea captain
Mo Farah – Olympian
Jamie Redknapp – Former footballer
Mark Wright – TOWIE star
David Seaman – Former Arsenal and England goalkeeper
Ben Shephard – TV presenter
Michael Owen – Former Liverpool and England striker
Joe Wicks – Fitness coach & Author
Jamie Carragher – Former Liverpool and England defender
Jeremy Lynch – Freestyle footballer
Glen Johnson – Former Chelsea and England defender
Joe Cole – Former Chelsea and England midfielder
Marvin Humes – JLS star turned TV presenter
Rachel Yankey – Former England and Arsenal winger
Katie Chapman – Former England and Chelsea midfielder
Danny Jones – McFly singer
The Rest of the World XI
Former Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp will lead the Rest of the World into battle with help from controversial broadcaster and TV personality Piers Morgan.
Check out The Rest of the World’s full squad listing below:
Didier Drogba – Chelsea legend
Usain Bolt – Former sprinter
Kem Cetinay – Love Island star
Robbie Keane – Former Tottenham and Republic of Ireland striker
Michael Essien – Former Chelsea and Ghana midfielder
Niall Horan – One Direction singer
Ricardo Carvalho – Former Chelsea and Portugal defender
Martin Compston – Line of Duty actor
Danny O’Carroll – Mrs Brown’s Boys actor
Jack Savoretti – Singer
Eric Cantona – Former Man Utd and France striker
Robert Pires – Former Arsenal and France midfielder
DJ Locksmith – Rudimental star
Billy Wingrove – Freestyle footballer
Nicky Byrne – Westlife singer
Roman Kemp – Capital FM presenter
Rosana Dos Santos Augusto – Former Brazil footballer
Francielle ‘Franzinha’ Manelo – Former Brazil footballer
Roberto Carlos – Former Real Madrid and Brazil defender
Read our 2019 Copa America outright betting tips and predictions with 25/1 outsider pick in our tournament preview here.
Why is Soccer Aid played?
The brainchild of Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes, Soccer Aid is an annual charity football event that has raised over £20 million for UNICEF UK, through ticket sales and donations from the public.
Celebrities, former players and supporters alike come together to raise as much money as they can for UNICEF’s projects and programs in Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Where can I watch Soccer Aid?
If you can’t get hold of a ticket for Soccer Aid 2019 at Stamford Bridge itself, you can watch the action unfold on ITV on Sunday 16th June 2019, with kick off scheduled for 7:30 pm.
You can also live stream the game via ITV Hub on a range of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets.
Soccer Aid Stats
H2H Record
2006 – England 2–1 Rest of The World XI
2008 – England 4–3 Rest of The World XI
2010 – Rest of The World 2–2 England (Rest of the World XI won 7-6 on penalties)
2012 – England 3–1 Rest of The World XI
2014 – Rest of The World 4–2 England
2016 – England 3–2 Rest of The World XI
2018 – England 3–3 Rest of the World XI (England won 4-3 on penalties)
- Over 2.5 goals were scored in 100% of the 7 previous Soccer Aid encounters between England and the Rest of the World XI
- Both teams scored in 100% of those encounters between 2006 and 2018
- England scored 2 goals or more in 100% of their 7 previous clashes with the Rest of the World XI
Soccer Aid 2019 betting tips and predictions
Right from their inaugural victory over the Rest of the World in the first edition of Soccer Aid in 2006, England have dominated the charity event, winning 5 of the 7 matches overall since goals from Les Ferdinand and Jonathan Wilkes helped them to their first triumph in a 2-1 win 13 years ago.
England have been priced at 4/5 favourites to seize victory again this year, however, we think the host’s squad looks slightly weaker than their international rival’s this time around.
In terms of former footballers, England have John Terry, Jamie Redknapp, David Seaman, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson and Joe Cole in their ranks, though the Rest of World equivalents, Didier Drogba, Robbie Keane, Michael Essien, Ricardo Carvalho, Eric Cantona, Robert Pires and Roberto Carlos, seem to have a heavier sprinkling of star dust and goal-scoring power.
Olympic sprinter and huge football fan Usain Bolt adds a touch of unpredictability to the Rest of the World squad, as do former Brazilian international women’s team stars Rosana and Francielle – and we think the international roster looks stronger player for player than their England antagonists.
With captain Didier Drogba expected to feature heavily on his old Stamford Bridge stomping ground, the Rest of the World like great value at 7/5 to secure their first Soccer Aid win since their 4-2 victory in 2014.
How can I donate?
If you head over to the official Soccer Aid website, you can find all the information you need to make a donation to the charity.
Keep up to date with our match previews for all the latest fixtures across world football here.
