Some of world football’s biggest names, including Neymar, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, are set to play together in a special charity match in Brazil on 19 December.
The tenth annual Match Against Poverty will take place this evening in Porto Alegre, hoping to raise money and awareness for global development problems in Brazil and Africa.
Fourty superstars from across the world of football have teamed up for the game, and will be divided into two teams – Ronaldo & Friends and Zidane & Friends.
Ronaldo has drafted in several of his old Brazilian teammates, including legendary goalscorers Romario and Edmundo, and current internationals Neymar and Leandro Damiao.
As for Zidane, the ex-French international will be able to call upon former Spain and Real Madrid stars Fernando Hierro and Michel Salgado, and Argentina playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme and current man-of-the-moment Radamel Falcao.
The two sides will be coached by two giants of the Brazilian game, both World Cup winners – Luiz Felipe Scolari and Carlos Alberto Parreira.
Former-Brazil striker Ronaldo and ex-Juventus playmaker Zidane are both United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassadors, and the old Real Madrid teammates will lead the sides out this evening.
The UNDP has offices in more than 170 countries and terrorities worldwide, and looks to help crisis-hit areas recover, and to assist the drive for an improvement to quality of life for everyone.
Former-World Cup referre Pierluigi Collina will be in charge. The match will be televised globally, according to UEFA and the UNDP, and takes place at the Gremio Arena in Porto Alegre, with kick off scheduled for 21:00 Brazil local time.
Ronaldo & Friends Team
Danrlei, Dida, Cafú, Serginho, Réver, Junior Baiano, Roque Junior, Roberto Carlos, William, Lucas, Juninho Paulista, Zinho, Djalminha, Roger, Zico, Denilson, Ronaldo, Neymar, Leandro Damião, Bebeto, Cacá Ferrari, Romário, Edmundo, Paulinho. Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira
Zidane & Friends Team
Vitor Baía, Juliano Belletti, Diego Cavalieri, Emerson, Fernando Hierro, Míchel Salgado, Fernando Couto, Juan Pablo Sorín, Paolo Montero, Carlos Gamarra, Hidetoshi Nakata, Zinédine Zidane, Deco, Santiago Solari, Fredrik Ljungberg, Juan Román Riquelme, Christian Karembeu, Alex de Souza, Pedro Pauleta, Sebastián Abreu, Hulk, Falcão, Mário Jardel. Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari
