Marta to play with Zidane, Ronaldo

Marta Vieira da Silva, Genaro Gattuso Christian Vieri, and Phillip Cocu are among the players that have recently confirmed they will join Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane at the 11th Annual Match Against Poverty, which is supported by FIFA.

Proceeds from the Match will support recovery efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record. 

This will be Marta, the UNDP Goodwill Ambassador’s second time to play in the Match. 

In 2007, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane invited her to play at the seventh edition in Fez, Morocco, where she became the first woman in the history of football to play in an internationally-sanctioned men’s football match. 

“I am honoured to participate again in this important match and to have the opportunity to join the players, the coaches, the referee, the technical teams and the public to mobilize for the Philippines”, said Marta who recently launched a video appeal to assist the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Marta has won the FIFA World Player of the Year five consecutive times, and was one of the three finalists of the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013.

 The list of players confirmed so far in the Ronaldo, Zidane & Friends team is: Ronald de Boer and Phillip Cocu (Netherlands), Steve McManaman (England), Robert Pires, Claude Makélélé and Youri Djorkaeff (France), Jens Lehmann (Germany), Gaizka Mendieta , Fernando Hierro and Michel Salgado (Spain), Paulo Sousa and Deco (Portugal), Marta, Giovane Elber, Juliano Belletti, Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic), Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, ChristianVieri (Italy), Hakan Sukur (Turkey) and Freddie Ljungberg (Sweden). 

Former and actual BSC Young Boys players will comprise the Young Boys and Friends team. The team will be led by former Swiss international players Stéphane Chapuisat and Hakan Yakin.

Italian Pierluigi Collina will be the referee of the match.

The 11th Annual Match Against Poverty in Bern will be played on March  4, 2014. — FIFA