Everton and Liverpool legends will put one of football’s fiercest rivalries aside this September as they unite for the inaugural Game4Hope charity match at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Former Blues and Reds stars will join celebrities and football icons from around the world for the Soccer Aid-style showdown on Saturday 26 September 2026, with kick-off at 4.45pm.
The event will raise funds for Everton in the Community and Shelter, while shining a spotlight on homelessness in Merseyside and across the country.
Everton great Peter Reid and Liverpool legend John Barnes will join forces as joint managers of a Merseyside XI packed with familiar names.
The squad includes Leighton Baines, Gareth Barry, Phil Jagielka, Yakubu, Robbie Fowler, David James, Ryan Babel, Jari Litmanen, John Aldridge, Joleon Lescott and Louis Saha.
They will wear a purple home shirt – reflecting the blue and red halves of the city – alongside celebrity supporters including Tony Bellew, John Bishop, James Nelson-Joyce, Molly McCann, Still Ryan and Big Zuu.
Waiting for them will be a Rest of the World XI featuring some of international football’s most recognisable names.
Brazil World Cup-winning captain Cafu will be joined by Champions League winners Clarence Seedorf and Jaap Stam, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Morocco legend Mustapha Hadji, and former Nottingham Forest and England defender Des Walker.
The international side will also feature Ted Lasso actors Toheeb Jimoh and Moe Hashim, Gladiators star Nitro – Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, former world boxing champion Johnny Nelson, Love Island star Jack Fowler and Tinie Tempah.
Tinie Tempah will also take to the stage for a special half-time performance.
Seven-time Women’s Premier League winner Rachel Yankey and Liverpool musician and footballer Chelcee Grimes are among the women confirmed to take part, with more players, celebrities and special guests due to be announced before the game.
The football will form part of a wider day of family entertainment at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the Fan Plaza hosting food, music and entertainment before and after the match.
Game4Hope comes as homelessness has moved further up the national agenda. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office on 20 July 2026, used his first day in Downing Street to launch a national drive aimed at ending rough sleeping at the earliest opportunity.
Organisers say more than 1,600 children in Liverpool are currently experiencing homelessness, living in temporary accommodation without the stability of a permanent home.
Nationally, the most recent annual snapshot recorded 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in England in autumn 2025, the highest figure since the current measurement system began in 2010 and 3% higher than the previous year.
Proceeds from Game4Hope will support Shelter and Everton in the Community’s work with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Everton in the Community provides support designed to address both homelessness itself and some of its underlying causes, including mental health difficulties, addiction, unemployment and family breakdown.
Its Home Is Where the Heart Is programme also supports young people with practical help and pathways towards secure accommodation.
Sue Gregory, CEO at Everton in the Community, said:
“Homelessness is one of the most urgent challenges facing our communities, and we know only too well through our work across the Liverpool City Region that it can affect people from all walks of life.
“#Game4Hope is about our city coming together to say that nobody should be without a safe and secure place to call home.
“Football has an incredible ability to unite people and, for one special afternoon, we’re putting rivalries aside and using that power to make a real difference.
“We’re incredibly proud to stand alongside Everton Football Club, Shelter, Legends Soccer and LFC Foundation to make this event possible. The funds and awareness raised will help us continue to be there for people facing some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable, while shining a light on both the visible and hidden reality of homelessness across our region.
“I hope supporters from across Merseyside and beyond will join us at Hill Dickinson Stadium for what promises to be a very special day for our city.”
Working alongside Everton in the Community will be Shelter, which campaigns for housing justice, while providing expert advice and support to people and families facing homelessness across the country.
Lauren Thompson, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Shelter, said:
“It’s a privilege to be one of the charity partners for #Game4Hope.
“It promises to be an exciting fixture, all to raise vital funds to help children and families experiencing homelessness.
“Right now, more children than ever are stuck homeless growing up in temporary accommodation – forced to live in cramped and insecure conditions, sharing beds with siblings and with no space to play or do homework.
“Our frontline services provide vital advice and support to people and families facing homelessness across the country. It’s thanks to the invaluable support of partners like Everton Football Club and Legends Soccer Group that we’re able to continue our fight against the housing emergency.”
Lester Holcombe, Co-Founder of LGNDS, said:
“For more than 20 years, we’ve been bringing together some of the biggest names in football, sport and entertainment to create major live TV events around causes that matter.
“#Game4Hope is exactly what these occasions should be about. It’s not simply another legends match – it’s a huge cast of football icons, celebrities, entertainers and famous faces coming together to create a genuine family spectacle, while using the power and reach of football to shine a light on an incredibly important issue.
“But the most important part of this is the fans. These events only have real impact when people get behind them, fill the stadium and become part of the story. Every ticket bought and every person who joins us helps support the incredible work that Everton in the Community and Shelter are doing every day for children and families facing homelessness.
“There’s something very special about Everton and Liverpool putting one of football’s great rivalries aside and uniting as one Merseyside team for this cause. And we’re incredibly excited to be staging the match with Everton FC at the magnificent Hill Dickinson Stadium – what better stage for the city to come together for something that really matters.
“We want to fill this incredible stadium, create an unforgettable day for fans and families and, most importantly, raise significant funds and awareness to help Everton in the Community and Shelter continue their vital work.”
Game4Hope ticket prices
Tickets go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 19 August here.
Everton Season Ticket Members: Adults £15; Under-16s £10.
General sale: Adults £25; Under-16s £15.
Everton Premium Members will be contacted separately, while Premium packages will also go on general sale through Seat Unique from 10am on Wednesday.
With Everton and Liverpool favourites lining up together, international football greats providing the opposition and live entertainment throughout the afternoon, Game4Hope promises to bring both sides of Merseyside together for a cause bigger than football.
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