Game4Hope will take place at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 26 September, with Everton and Liverpool legends, celebrity guests and an international XI coming together for a charity event focused on homelessness. The Merseyside XI will include L. Baines, Gareth Barry, Robbie Fowler and John Aldridge, while the Rest of the World XI features Cafú, Clarence Seedorf and Jaap Stam.
The cast is the point
This is the kind of event that works because the names are familiar and a little unexpected at the same time. Tony Bellew, John Bishop and Molly McCann are among the celebrity fans stepping onto the pitch, and Rachel Yankey is also involved as a seven-time Women's Premier League winner.
Sue Gregory, CEO at Everton in the Community, said: "Game4Hope is about our city coming together to say that nobody should be without a safe and secure place to call home". She added: "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."
Why the event has local weight
The football names give the game its pull, but the local link is already strong. Liverpool finished 5th in the Premier League in 2025, while Everton finished 13th, which keeps the Merseyside connection front and centre without making this about league form.
The wider backdrop is harder to ignore. According to official data, there were an estimated 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in England in the autumn of 2025, a 96% increase in five years. Liverpool City Council has also said the cost of housing up to 1,600 homeless families and individuals in the region could reach £90m.
Game4Hope is set up as a one-off, not a standard fixture, and the draw is the mixture of Everton and Liverpool legends, world champions and local figures. Hill Dickinson Stadium hosts it on 26 September, with Shelter and Everton in the Community among the causes set to benefit.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
