Soccer Aid 2026 player ratings: Angry Ginge, Nabhaan Rizwan and Jermain Defoe stand out as England win

England came out as 3-2 winners over World XI in Soccer Aid 2026. Wayne Rooney, Angry Ginge and Nabhaan Rizwan were the standout performers. Jermain Defoe was on the scoresheet twice, to become the leading scorer in the match's history. Both teams had the chance to take the lead in the first half, forcing saves from former professional goalkeepers Joe Hart and Edwin Van der Sar.

But it was Damson Idris who gave England the lead before half-time. Replays showed that he may have been in an offside position when the ball was played, but he made no mistake by lifting the ball above the goalkeeper and into the side netting. With no VAR in place, the goal stood. Things usually get more interesting going into the second half, with celebrities replacing professionals in goal.

For England, it was Joe Marler in the sticks, with Chris O'Dowd for World XI. It was O'Dowd who was beaten first, when Jermain Defoe lifted the ball over him and into the back of the net to make it 2-0 to England. It was the same outcome just a minute or so later, with Defoe making it 3-0. Michael Essien reduced the deficit with what was his final touch of the ball with a great goal into the bottom corner.

Tim Cahill made it a nervy end for England, making it 3-2 with a good header. But, England were able to see it out to take their second title in three years. Here's how we scored the players... Joe Hart - Produced a good couple of saves from Rizwan early in the first half. 7 Owen Cooper - Didn't look out of place, despite being the youngest ever player in Soccer Aid history.

Did brilliantly to tackle Berbatov in the penalty area - although could have conceded a penalty. 7.5 Angry Ginge - Looked pretty solid at the back alongside Lescott., saved Joe Marler's blushes in the second half. 8 Joleon Lescott - Did have some problems in the early stages against Rizwan, good defending to deny Nitro at the back post. 6.5 Sam Thompson - Lasted 20 minutes, but wasn't really noticeable - if that's a good or bad thing is anyone's guess. 6 Jack Wilshere - Helped to contol the midfield for England - even if he didn't get a lot of help. 7 Tom Grennan - Not as good as last year, where he impressed, but still tried to get involved - almost got a touch on Defoe's first goal. 6.5 Damson Idris - Looked quick, took his goal well, although there was more than a slight hint of offside. 7 Wayne Rooney - Showed his vision and quality with his throughballs to get teammates in on goal, hit the post when through on goal. 8 Toni Duggan - Got in behind once or twice, was replaced just over the half an hour mark. 7 Jermain Defoe - Two brilliant finishes within a few minutes to make it 2 and 3 for England. 8 Tom Hiddlestone - Didn't really get involved in the 20 or so minutes he was on the pitch. 6 Jade Moore - Played a brilliant ball for Jermain Defoe's first goal. 7 GK Barry - Her first involvement saw her distracted by the adulation of the crowd and let the ball go out of play for a throw-in. 5 Joe Marler - Was saved from embarrassment by a goal-line clearance by Angry Ginge. Brought a smile to his defender's face with his antics, get an extra .5 for entertainment. 7.5 Danny Dyer - Not involved too much - 6 Theo Walcott - Was denied a couple of times by Chris O'Dowd - 6.5 Sean Wright-Phillips - Set up Theo Walcott for a good chance. 6.5 Jill Scott - Helped to control the midfield when England came under pressure. 7 Olly Murs - Amazing to see him on the pitch after the Into the Unknown Challenge. 6 Jack Whitehall - Did well to get on the pitch, considering he was in Budapest supporting Arsenal last night. 6 Chloe Burrows - Played a great ball through for Walcott in a penalty shout for England. only on for around 10 minutes. 6.5 Alex Brooker - Wasn't on for long, coming onto the pitch with 5 minutes to play. N/A Paddy McGuinness - Came on for the final couple of minutes for his 10th cap. N/A Edwin Van Der Sar - Great save to tip Wayne Rooney's shot onto the post when one-on-one. 7 Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Was substituted after 22 minutes. 6 Nemanja Matic - Tried to get forward in the second half ad World XI looked for a way back in the game. 6 Richard Gadd - 6 Jordi Alba - . 7 Jen Beattie - Was replaced after 30 minutes. 6 Dermot Kennedy - 6 Behzinga - 6 Michael Essien - Looked to control the game early, and scored a great goal before being substituted. 7 Nabhaan Rizwan - Looked very dangerous in front of goal, was denied by a great Joe Hart save in the first half. 8 Dimitar Berbatov - Heavily involved in World XI's attacks, but became pretty frustrated with some challenges. 7 Nitro - Got in a good position at the back post, but was denied by Joleon Lescott. 6 Ali Krieger - 6 Chris O'Dowd - Theo Walcott will be happy to see the back of him, after a couple of good saves. 7.5 Nicky Byrne - 6 Tim Cahill - Made it 3-2 with a smart header. 7 Maisie Adam - Was denied a goal by the clearance from Angry Ginge after a mistake from Marler. 6.5 Lukas Podolski - Had the chance to reduce the deficit, but hit the post. 7 Molly McCann - Unsusprisingly wasn't afraid to be physical, but did manage to keep Tom Grennan pretty quiet. 6.5 Simon Neil - 6 Leonardo Bonucci - 6 TBJZL - N/A Frankie Dettori - Was only on for a few minutes.

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