Paddy McGuinness and Soccer Aid: A Greggs with Ronaldinho, applause from Luis Figo and shower with Roy Keane
Eating a Greggs with Ronaldinho, kissing Prince Harry and showering with Roy Keane – a sentence that perfectly describes Soccer Aid.
Paddy McGuinness, who is set for his 10th appearance when the world’s biggest charity match returns, can still hardly believe his experiences.
The comedian has become one of the celebrity faces of the football game, which sees cultures collide – sometimes painfully so – just ask One Direction star Louis Tomlinson who was floored by talkSPORT host Gabby Agbonlahor.
This year, Soccer Aid will be celebrating 20 years since Jonathan Wilkes and pop icon Robbie Williams started it in 2006.
McGuinness joined the incredible cause a decade later and now, at the London Stadium on 31 May, he will reach a milestone of his own. He recalled the wild ride in an exclusive chat with talkSPORT.
“I started in 2016 and if you said to be then that I’d still be doing this in 2026 and be a part of raising over £120million for UNICEF, no one would have believed you.
From an awkward shower with Roy Keane to a motorway pit stop with three World Cup winners, it has been surreal to say the least.
“Some of the things I’ve been involved with,” McGuinness began.
“Things like spending a bit of time with [actors] Woody Harrelson, Mike Myers and Will Ferrell, just chatting, as you do.
“Having a shower with Roy Keane, getting kissed by Prince Harry – that was a highlight.
“Having a Greggs with [Brazil legends] Ronaldinho, Cafu and Dida at Knutsford Services!”
Just imagine those Brazilian icons stood at the counter deciding whether to get a sausage roll or a steak bake for lunch…
McGuinness then went on to share another story about playing alongside Real Madrid Galacticos Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane.
“It’s just nuts, I remember one of my first games, I cut a ball out that was going to Figo and play carried on, and Figo then came over to me and went: ‘Excellent, great work’,” he beamed as he recalled the interaction with the Ballon d’Or winner.
“I just thought, bloody hell, this is Figo and we’re sharing a pitch with Zinedine Zidane!”
And the bizarre moments involving Zidane didn’t stop there.
He added: “Bolton legend Kevin Davies came round to my house once and was asking me what Zidane was like. That brought home to me about how big Soccer Aid is.
“[Davies] is a Premier League footballer, so you think god, how lucky are we? There are just loads of amazing memories.”
There are more pinch-me moments
While left starstruck by Figo and Zidane, McGuinness said you never get used to the occasion no matter how many times you’ve done it.
“Even now when I see people who aren’t professional footballers like Tyson Fury being there last year. You’re just like: ‘There’s Tyson Fury’.
“There are only two I’ve never met from Soccer Aid, the first was Diego Maradona, I didn’t play in that game, and Lionel Messi‘s never done it.
“So they are the only two I’ve never met, I’ve met Pele etc.
“But I think being on the pitch with Zidane is just… you look over and see him on the pitch and you’re like, Zidane. It’s just mind blowing things like that.
“Even things in training that cameras never see. I was sitting in training having a drink and I watched Roy Keane and [former Milan midfielder] Clarence Seedorf pinging a ball to each other for a couple of minutes without it touching the floor.
“That is just poetry and I thought to myself ‘I could sit here all day watching this’.”
Highs and lows
Of course, not every experience is going to be perfect – and the same can be said for McGuinness at Soccer Aid.
He’s had many great memories across his decade of being involved in the charity match, but he’s also had some bad ones.
When asked about his worst memories from over the years, McGuinness joked: “How long have we got?
“Last Soccer Aid, Carlos Tevez scored four goals past me in five minutes and that’s weirdly not my worst moment, because it’s Tevez… he thought he was playing the Champions League final.
“It was probably when I had the chance to score a winning penalty, I was always in the top five takers, but there’s something about the 70,000 people, the pressure, the nerves.
“I remember walking as the fifth penalty taker, thinking this is to win it, and I was terrified.
“I walked past Michael Owen and he said place [the ball]. I walked past Alan Shearer and he said smash it. And Sam Allardyce was the manager and he said something totally different.
“In the end, I did a bit of everything and rolled it to the goalkeeper and I was like: ‘That’s got to be the worst penalty – including when I used to be at school – ever.’
“What a stage to do it on, but luckily we still won and I played well in the game – I was like: ‘Why did I do that?”
When is Soccer Aid 2026?
It’s back and this year will be held at West Ham United’s London Stadium on Sunday 31 May where Jordi Alba, Joe Marler are among those making their debuts.
Former Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci is returning alongside Wayne Rooney, actor Tom Hiddleston and YouTuber Angry Ginge, while more names will be revealed closer to the time.
The game kicks off at 6:30pm, with a special 20th anniversary half-time show expected. Adult tickets are available from £20 and juniors from £10 at socceraid.org.uk/tickets.
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