Soccer Aid to feature women footballers for first time

Female ex-professional footballers will play alongside their male counterparts for the first time in Unicef's annual charity match, Soccer Aid, in June.

The game at Stamford Bridge on June 16 will feature a range of retired football icons and celebrities split up into two teams - an England XI and a World XI.

Former Lionesses Rachel Yankey and Katie Chapman will be the first female players to feature in the event and will line up alongside fellow ex-pros such as David Seaman, Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson, Jamie Redknapp, Joe Cole and Michael Owen.

Two more female players will be announced for the World XI team, which already boasts the likes of Didier Drogba, Eric Cantona, Robbie Keane, Robert Pires, Michael Essien and Ricardo Carvalho.

The Football Association is supporting the match as part of an ongoing study into mixed-adult participation in recreational football.

"These are exciting times for women's football as The FA strives to double participation in the women's game and we are seeing a huge increase in the popularity of the WSL," said Sue Campbell, FA head of women's football.

"It will be great to showcase women's football as part of Soccer Aid for Unicef ahead of the World Cup in the summer.

"This has seen the rules changing in recent years to allow boys and girls to play mixed football together and this match will be part of our continuing research into mixed-adult recreational football."

Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp will return to the England and World XI dugouts and will be aided by Good Morning Britain presenters Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan respectively.

Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah will go head-to-head with fellow runner Usain Bolt, just like F2 freestylers Billy Wingrove and Jeremy Lynch.

Soccer Aid was co-founded by Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes in 2006 and sees celebrities and ex-professional footballers join forces to raise money for children in need across the world.

Tickets for England vs Soccer Aid World XI, on Sunday June 16 at Stamford Bridge, can be purchased at socceraid.org.uk/tickets/.