Game4Ukraine:everythingyoushouldknowaboutthecharityfootballmatch

On August 5, Andrii Shevchenko, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and a number of celebrity guest players will do a fundraising match in London.

Game4Ukraine is a charity football match in support of Ukraine. The event was initiated by Andrii Shevchenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ukrainian football superstars and the ambassadors for UNITED24 fundraising platform. The goal of the initiative is to raise funds for rebuilding the Mykhailo-Kotsiubynskyi Lyceum in the Chernihiv region, destroyed by Russian troops.

Game4Ukraine was officially announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May 2023 during the meeting with Shevchenko and Zinchenko in Kyiv. “This is an opportunity for the global football community to unite, demonstrate its solidarity and help Ukraine, help our children return to school desks, and draw the attention of the entire world community to the war [Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – ed.] again,” commented Zelenskyy.

What is the Game4Ukraine kick-off time?

Stamford Bridge, the home stadium of the English football club Chelsea, will host the Game4Ukraine fundraising match on Saturday, August 5, with kick-off at 6 pm. There will be two teams wearing yellow and blue football uniforms, representing the colors of the national flag of Ukraine. Teams will be captained by former Chelsea striker Andrii Shevchenko and current Arsenal full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.

What is the lineup of the match?

Teams “Blue” and “Yellow”will feature some of the greatest footballers of the modern era, in addition to a number of celebrity guest players, with Chelsea Women manager Emma Hayes taking charge of Team Shevchenko on the day, while former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be in the opposite dug-out for Team Zinchenko.

In particular, the teams will feature a number of former Chelsea players and big names from the wider football world, including Ricardo Carvalho, Petr Cech, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Gianfranco Zola, Fabio Cannavaro, Patrick Vieira, and others. That is in addition to a host of popular celebrities. Among them are actors Toheeb Jimoh and Phil Dunster from the Ted Lasso TV series, musicians James Arthur and Chelcee Grimes, TV presenter Roman Kemp, etc.

How to watch Game4Ukraine on tv?

Those who won’t be able to visit the Stamford Bridge stadium, will have an opportunity to watch Game4Ukraine on tv. Over 25 channels will stream this football match in more than 200 countries worldwide. In particular, Game4Ukraine will be broadcast Live on Sky Max in the UK, while fans in the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Italy can tune in through DAZN.

What is the initiative raising money for?

The Game4Ukraine initiative will raise funds through ticket sales, sponsorship, and a special range of merchandise available on the day. The money will go towards restoring the Mykhailo-Kotsiubynskyi Lyceum in the Chernihiv region. On March 4, 2022, the lyceum was shelled by Russian troops. The missile struck the first and second floors while people were in the bomb shelter of the building – about a hundred residents, including around 30 children. Thankfully, no one was injured. However, not much of the building itself survived. Russian missiles shattered half the windows and completely destroyed many classrooms.

And this is just one case: since February 2022, more than 3,500 educational institutions in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged by Russian military aggression. Ukrainian children, just like all the children in the world, deserve a safe space to study and build their future. And Ukrainians are fighting for that not only with arms but also with volunteer, charity, and fundraising projects.