On the eve of the SBC Summit in Lisbon (September 16-18), a charity game featuring some of football’s most renowned legends took to the pitch at the José Alvalade Stadium.
The Portugal Legends team, led by Captain Luis Figo, beat the World Legends team 4-1; Pauleta, Helder Postiga, Figo and Pepe all scored for the winning team, while Michael Owen scored the consolidation for his team.
The SBC Legends Charity game raised £1m-plus for people affected in war-torn countries such as Ukraine. All the money raised will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, International Alert, Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa and Caritas Portugal.
On the opening day of SBC Summit, 24 of the players who competed in the Legends Charity Game took to the Super Stage at the MEO Arena to discuss the impact they can still have across the world during their post-career.
Football icons such as Kaká, Roberto Carlos, Alessandro Del Piero, Carles Puyol and more joined presenters Kirsty Gallacher and Alison Bender to discuss the Legends game and how they can continue to leverage their standing in the game for the greater benefit of the world.
Roberto Carlos
Former Brazil and Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos opened the panel by sharing his thoughts on the SBC Legends Charity Game and his role managing the World Legends team.
The World Cup and Champions League winner described it as “an amazing event, very busy on the pitch and stands with so many amazing players on the pitch and for a great cause.”
Carlos joked that the Portugal Legends side “took it very seriously” and admitted it was “impossible to tell that many legends” what to do as manager, noting several of his players had already been teammates with him at Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
Turning to life after football, Carlos reflected on his post-career journey. Since retiring in 2016, he has stayed close to the game through his work with Real Madrid as Club Ambassador and Director of Institutional Relations.
Speaking on the Super Stage, he explained how his role with Los Blancos and Real Madrid TV keeps him connected to the team spirit he once thrived on.
“During the career, I focused on football, but when you’re older you think of that (post) career. I wanted to stay in football and always wanted to, but you have to prepare yourself after the game.”
Kaká
One former Real Madrid Brazilian followed another, as Kaká joined Bender to reflect on his post-playing career and explain why he has focused on the business of sport.
The Ballon d’Or winner expressed his joy at reuniting with former teammates and competitors during the SBC Legends Charity Game, noting the importance of young fans in attendance who were able to see ex-professionals play for the first time.
Kaká admitted the transition away from football was not easy. “It was really hard knowing when to retire. We are old for the sport but young in life – it’s a strange situation,” the former AC Milan midfielder said.
He described the routine of his playing days – strict schedules of training, diet and up to three matches a week – and contrasted it with the freedom and uncertainty of life after football. While he hinted at a possible return to the game in a managerial or coaching role, for now his focus is on learning.
Kaká has been studying a range of football-adjacent business subjects through programmes with UEFA, FIFA and Harvard, while also running his own sports marketing company, inspired by his long relationship with marketing agency Oktagon from 2002 to 2011.
“We had an organised life, training, schedule, and now you have an entire world to discover. It’s really scary at first, but really nice to discover these kinds of things,” he told the audience.
17 footballing legends, all on one stage
To close out proceedings on the Super Stage, Kirsty Gallacher joined Bender to introduce 17 players who competed in the SBC Legends Charity game.
There was a litany of former football players who spoke on the importance of competing in charity games and what it means to them to reacquaint themselves with one another again.
Michael Owen concluded the panel by admitting his goal during the SBC Legends Charity game was a “small consilation”, but “next year, we will be back”.
