England 2-4 World XI: Robbie Keane rolls back the years with a stunning brace to punish Three Lions to another Soccer Aid defeat in front of a packed out Old Trafford
- World XI have won Soccer Aid 2023 after beating England at Old Trafford
- Robbie Keane scored a brilliant second-half brace to inflict defeat on the hosts
- Paul Scholes scored a long-range stunner before limping off injured
Soccer Aid is a football match like no other. If Manchester City‘s Champions League final victory over Inter Milan on Saturday was the pinnacle of football, this was the complete opposite. But it was still great fun.
Destination Old Trafford welcomed celebrities, athletes from other sports, former professionals, and Stormzy in a surprise managerial role for the charity fundraising match.
There were the regulars from over the years with the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt captaining a World XI side coached by newly appointed Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, while former Lionesses star Jill Scott skippered the Three Lions.
Bolt showed there is still pace in his retired legs yet as he beat England’s offside trap, causing rap artist Bugzy Malone to pull up in the process, and beating David James with a powerful shot to put the visitors ahead.
England attempted to get back into proceedings but had no luck throughout the rest of the first-half as they were penned back in their own area.
The World XI are Soccer Aid 2023 champions after beating England at Old Trafford
Former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane rolled back the years with a brilliant performance
Newly appointed Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino (right) managed the World XI side
Half-time changes proved to be the difference and England’s fight was aided by some questionable goalkeeping from UFC welterweight world champion Leon Edwards as his errors gifted the hosts two quick-fire goals.
The Boy in Striped Pyjamas star Asa Butterfield miskicked a cross that ended up in the back of the net to get England back on level terms, before Paul Scholes rolled back the years with a stunning strike to flip the game on it’s head.
However his joy was short-lived as he limped off injured moments later, before Robbie Keane’s introduction for World XI settled the game.
Stormzy was given his managerial debut as he oversaw a star-studded England team
Kem Cetinay (left) scored the final goal to become the tournament’s top goalscorer
The world’s fastest man Usain Bolt (right) opened the scoring in the end-to-end game
Ex-Man United midfielder Paul Scholes (right) scored a long-range goal before limping off
The Irishman, a potent goalscorer in his Premier League days, was class personified, first with a postage-stamp strike that gained applause from all corners of the ground as he levelled the match in the 65th minute.
Five minutes later he was at it again, this time with a scrambled shot that worked it’s way through a crowded penalty area to put World XI ahead for the second time in the game.
Deflated and defunct, England had come undone for the fifth consecutive time in this competition, with Kem Cetinay making sure of that in the closing minutes.
The Love Island star pounced on a Sir Mo Farah mistake and showed the Olympic champion a clear pair of heels as he broke on a counter-attack and finished with aplomb to become the tournament’s highest-ever scorer and wrap up a 2-4 victory.
