West Ham Club Captain Mark Noble – who officially retires at the end of this season – will play his final ever game at the London Stadium, for England, at Soccer Aid for UNICEF on Sunday 12th June.
Fans of the midfield star are being urged to snap up tickets to say goodbye to their hero in what will be his final bow.
A family of four can attend the game for just £60, but early purchasing is advised, as some areas of the stadium have already sold out.
The occasion promises to be an emotional one, as the curtain comes down on Noble’s successful career. The midfielder has played over 500 games for West Ham in a twenty-year career.
He played for England’s Youth Teams – including the Under-21 side – but was never capped by the Senior Team. Soccer Aid for UNICEF are ceremonially awarding Noble his first-ever England Cap.
As well as it being Noble’s send-off, the game will play host to UNICEF UK Ambassador Robbie Williams singing his iconic ballad ‘Angels’ at half-time.
It will also be a coming home party for London 2012 heroes Usain Bolt and Sir Mo Farah who both return to the London Stadium exactly 10 years on from their gold medal heroics.
Since 2006 – when UNICEF UK Ambassador Robbie Williams co-founded the concept – Soccer Aid for UNICEF has raised over £60 million to help give children all over the world a childhood full of play. Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2021, at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, raised a record-breaking £13 million.
Mark Noble said: “I was touched when Soccer Aid for UNICEF invited me to play for England. Playing for your country is the greatest honour for any professional athlete – and Sunday 12 June will be no different for me, or for my kids who are big Soccer Aid fans!
Add to that the fact this is for such a special cause and I can’t wait to run out in front of 60,000 fans at the London Stadium one last time. It will be an emotional day, for sure – but I want you all to share it with me.
“Of course, this isn’t about me though – it’s about raising as much money for UNICEF as we possibly can. That was £13m last year and we want to go beyond that this summer. The match is well on its way to being sold out, so buy your tickets now and support this great cause.”
More famous faces are set to be announced in the coming weeks but those announced so far include – for England, in full: Harry Redknapp (Manager), Liam Payne (Captain), Sir Mo Farrah, Tom Grennan, Mark Wright, Chunkz, Damian Lewis, Mark Noble, Teddy Sheringham, David James, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Fara Williams, Joe Cole, Alex Brooker and David Seaman (Goalkeeper Coach).
For the Soccer Aid World XI FC: Arsène Wenger (Manager), Usain Bolt (Captain) Martin Compston, Steven Bartlett, Munya Chawawa, Kem Cetinay, Noah Beck, Lee Mack, Mo Gilligan, Chelcee Grimes, Andriy Shevchenko, Patrice Evra, Cafu, Carli Lloyd, and Robbie Keane.
The live show on ITV and STV will be hosted by UNICEF UK Ambassador Dermot O’Leary. Alex Scott also returns as pitch-side reporter. Soccer Aid fan favourite Maya Jama makes her return, as she offers her take on the game as a pundit.
This year, there has never been a more challenging time for children. Right now, children are facing war, disasters, and other crises in countries around the world.
And it is children that are often hardest hit – like the 7.5 million children currently affected by the war in Ukraine. These children risk losing their homes, their families, and their schools. They lose the ability to just be kids.
Soccer Aid for UNICEF is working hard to give children around the world the carefree, play-filled childhoods they are entitled to.
The money raised from this year’s game could help UNICEF provide vaccines, fight malnutrition, and provide safe spaces to protect children in times of crisis.
Tickets for the game are on sale now via www.socceraid.org.uk/tickets with a family of four able to attend for just £60 – two adults and two children.