International football icons are set to gather in Lisbon this September for the Legends Charity Game, an event dedicated to raising funds for communities worldwide affected by war and local hardships.
Scheduled to align with the SBC Summit in Lisbon, the Legends Charity Game will take place on Monday, 15 September. The highly anticipated match will pit a team of Portugal Legends against World Legends, featuring some of the most celebrated names in football history. The game is expected to be played before a crowd of 60,000 fans, with millions more watching via television and online broadcasts.
With the strong backing of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the match will see Portuguese football heroes compete against international legends. The event aims to raise over €1,000,000 for selected charities that support communities and families experiencing extreme adversity.
Luis Figo, the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner who lifted trophies across Europe, will captain the Portugal Legends team. He comments:
It’s always a pleasure to come back to my country and play football, especially when wearing the national team colours! Hope to see a full stadium in my hometown Lisbon for this amazing Legends Charity Game and raise funds for important charity causes.
Figo will be joined by members of the victorious Euro 2016 squad, including Ricardo Quaresma, Eliseu, and Ricardo Carvalho. The roster also boasts Champions League winners Fábio Coentrão, Maniche, Hugo Almeida, Vitor Baia, José Bosingwa, and Deco. Other renowned Portuguese legends such as Beto, Jorge Andrade, Dani, Tiago Mendes, Hélder Postiga, Nuno Gomes, and Simão will also feature. The team will be managed by fellow Champions League winner Costinha.
They will face a formidable World Legends squad that includes such legendary figures as: Peter Schmeichel (Denmark), Cafu (Brazil), Javier Zanetti (Argentina), Diego Lugano (Uruguay), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy), Gaizka Mendieta (Spain), Youri Djorkaeff (France), Christian Karambeu (France), Marek Hamsik (Slovakia), Giorgos Karagounis (Greece), Krassimir Balakov (Bulgaria), Gheorghe Hagi (Romania), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands), Henrik Larsson (Sweden), Shota Arveladze (Georgia), Javier Saviola (Argentina), and Ronaldinho (Brazil).
The match venue will be either Benfica’s Estádio da Luz or Sporting Lisbon’s José Alvalade Stadium, with the final location to be announced in August as part of a major reveal coinciding with the Champions League schedule release.
The Legends Charity Game is dedicated to raising more than €1,000,000 for various worthy causes both in Portugal and abroad, as the global football family unites to support families in need.
One of the key international beneficiaries is the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS).
The teams of the Ukrainian Red Cross provide daily support, including evacuation, first aid, psychosocial assistance, and essential humanitarian relief. Their staff and volunteers are active in all regions of the country, aiding those who need it most.
Maksym Dotsenko, Director General of the Ukrainian Red Cross, comments:
The war in Ukraine continues, and unfortunately, millions of people still need support every day. We have no right to stop. Initiatives like the Legends Charity Game are not just about the funds raised. They are about compassion, and the understanding that the world stands by us. They are about solidarity that transforms into real help for those going through the toughest times. We are grateful to everyone who takes part.
The event will also support the Lisbon-based Cáritas Portuguesa, a charitable partner that provides critical aid to marginalized communities facing challenges such as poverty and insufficient emergency relief.
SBC Founder & CEO Rasmus Sojmark explains:
We are taking our charitable endeavours up a notch this year with the spectacular football match in order to raise a lot of money for some very worthy causes. By tying the match in with the SBC Summit in Lisbon the same week, we have found a way for the communities around football and business to help other communities that are facing unimaginable hardships.
Tickets are now available for purchase through the official website, www.legendscharitygame.com, with See Tickets managing the event’s ticketing.
Sponsorships and Hospitality packages are still available to support the event and its charitable causes. Confirmed sponsors include iGP, Soft2Bet, Sportingtech, Vegas Legends, Spribe, SmartSoft, and Alea.
All profits from the Legends Charity Game will support the Sport Global Charitable Foundation’s beneficiary charities. The foundation is a restricted fund operating under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund (UK registered charity number 1099682).
For more information:
- Marketing – Thomas Rasmussen: thomas.rasmussen@sportglobal.com
- Sponsorship – Rasmus Sojmark: ras@sportglobal.com
