Soccer Aid 2022: World XI beat England as £15m is raised for charity

World XI players celebrate beating England at Soccer Aid 2022.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Comedian Lee Mack scored the winning penalty as a World XI beat England in a shootout to win Soccer Aid 2022 at the London Stadium on Sunday night.

The two teams drew 2-2 in an entertaining encounter which featured a host of celebrities and former players.

There was a lovely moment before kick-off when multiple Olympic champion Usain Bolt presented team-mate Andriy Shevchenko with an armband featuring the colours of the Ukraine flag.

Highlights of the game itself included a superb second-half strike by singer-songwriter Tom Grennan for England, a fine save by the world's strongest man Tom Stoltman for the world XI and runner Mo Farah carrying a young pitch invader off behind one of the goals.

Robbie Williams performed his hit song Angels wearing a jewelled denim jacket in a half-time show and after Grennan's goal, Love Island's Kem Cetinay netted his fourth in this fixture to draw level with former Real Madrid and AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf.

Robbie Keane almost won it as he hit the post late on, but it was left to Mack to hit the winning penalty amid wild celebrations.

The world XI now lead 6-5 in the fixture and Bolt lifted the shield with Shevchenko after the presentation from Unicef amabassador David Beckham, but more importantly, over £15m was raised for charity.

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.