Taking place one day before the SBC Summit in Lisbon opens its doors to thousands of attendees from across the betting and gaming industry, SBC is hosting another seismic event.

The Legends Charity game will take place on 15 September and will see some of the biggest names in world football, including members of the 2016 Euro winning Portugal team, play to raise money for people around the globe suffering from conflict or poverty.

The match will see Portugal Legends take World Legends with the likes of Luís Figo, Deco, Carvalho and Fábio Coentrão play for the former while Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar, Patrice Evra and Kaka take to the pitch for the latter.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC, gives us a glimpse into how this event came to be, how it will reach the widest audience possible, and how it will achieve its charitable and sporting goals.

What is the Legends Charity Game?

Rasmus Sojmark: The Legends Charity Game is something we’ve been dreaming about for a long time, and now it’s finally happening. 

On Monday, 15 September, right in the heart of Lisbon, a team of Portugal’s greatest football legends will step onto the pitch to take on a global lineup of football legends from across the world.

These legends are the players so many of us grew up watching, idols who shaped our love for the game, now coming together for a match that is about more than nostalgia. It’s about charity, and our goal is to raise over €1,000,000 for four incredible organisations: the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, which continues to support those affected by the war in Ukraine, the Portuguese Red Cross, International Alert, and Caritas Portugal, which all do vital work with vulnerable communities in Portugal and beyond. 

The match will welcome 60,000 fans to the stadium, either Estádio da Luz or Estádio José Alvalade, depending on Champions League scheduling announced at the end of August, and will be broadcast to millions around the world.

The Legends Charity Game is how we have chosen to open SBC Summit 2025. With real heart and purpose. So if you are planning to be in Lisbon for the Summit, please make sure to arrive before this Monday evening charity event. 

We’ve poured everything into making it special, not because we had to, but because we believe in it. The players believe in it too. It is going to be emotional and genuinely amazing, and we can’t wait to share it with everyone.

I could go on about this for hours, but here’s the short version. This is about celebrating football’s greats, uniting people through sport and charity, and raising money for those who need it most. I’m proud we’re making it happen.

Why do you believe football, and in particular the Legends Charity Game, is uniquely positioned to rally people behind meaningful causes? 

RS: Football has this incredible, almost magical power to bring people together, often in ways nothing else can. I’ve seen total strangers become best friends (or mortal enemies) over a last-minute goal. It’s one of the only things that can make grown adults paint their faces, cry on live TV, and believe that “this year is our year”… every single year. But behind all the passion and drama, football also has a serious superpower: it connects people. That’s what makes it such a powerful platform for rallying people behind meaningful causes.

When legends of the game take to the pitch, people pay attention. And when that spotlight can be used to raise awareness, funding, and momentum for causes that truly matter, it becomes an opportunity to do something that goes beyond the pitch. That’s the spirit behind the Legends Charity Game.

The World Legends and the Portugal Legends appeal to generations. Many of us have grown up idolising these players and watching them play the beautiful game for decades.

Younger generations still admire the legends when they watch streams or YouTube clips of the likes of Ronaldinho bringing his magic to the game like few other players have ever been able to achieve. They are also playing with the Legends in the EA Sports FC game titles (former EA Sports FIFA series), and now they get to watch them play live at the Legends Charity Game. 

In a few words, the Legends Charity Game has a generational appeal. Father, son, and grandfather will want to watch the game together.

What guided your decision to aim for over €1,000,000 and choose the charities you’re supporting?

RS: Setting a goal of €1,000,000 was about being honest with ourselves about what this match could achieve. If we’re going to bring together global football icons, fill a stadium in Lisbon, and broadcast this around the world, then we owe it to the cause to aim high. We wanted a goal that felt bold, that actually moves the needle, and that reflects the power of football when it’s used as a force for good.

As for the charities, it was important for us to connect both globally and locally to honour the people in Lisbon welcoming us, and to stand with those who need solidarity the most. This game is our way of doing that. This landmark event supports four incredible charities working on the frontlines of crisis. 

1. The Red Cross in Ukraine continues to provide emergency aid and medical care to civilians devastated by the war in Ukraine
2. The Portuguese Red Cross brings relief to communities affected by natural disasters and economic hardship at home.
3. International Alert is working tirelessly to build peace and protect vulnerable lives in conflict-affected regions around the world.
4. Caritas Portugal ensures that families in Portugal facing poverty and displacement are given dignity, support, and shelter.

By supporting this game, fans and players alike are turning their love for football into a force for good. It’s a powerful reminder that the global football family can do more than entertain. It can heal, empower, and restore hope. Together, we can make this more than a game. We can make it a movement.

Will the match be streamed or televised? How can fans actively take part in this initiative before, during, or after the match?

RS: Yes, the match will be both streamed and televised. We’re working closely with broadcasters to make sure the Legends Charity Game can be watched by fans around the world, whether you’re in Portugal or elsewhere. The production is being handled by SBC, and we’re treating it like a top-tier broadcast. Think Champions League-level coverage, with multiple camera angles, spider cams, and a full stadium setup. We want people watching from home to feel every moment, just like those in the stands.

As Lisbon prepares to host 60,000 fans, what role are local and global partners playing in helping you spread the word across borders?

RS: There are lots of ways to be part of this. You can buy a ticket and join us in Lisbon. If you can’t be there in person, you can still support the cause: tune into the livestream, donate online, share the event with your network, or enter the charity raffle that will take place during halftime.

But to spread this message globally, we’ve also leaned on the strength of our media and strategic partners such as A Bola, Ringier Sports Media Group, MARCA, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Better Collective, Sport1, SofaScore, Flashscore, Record, Stats Perform, and more. They’re helping us tell the story, one about legacy, community, and purpose. With their help, we’re reaching fans in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Denmark, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Mexico and beyond.

We are working closely with MediaPro to create the live broadcast of the event, which we aim to share with millions of people around the world. Several broadcasting partners have been lined up across Europe, Brazil, and Latin America.

Our own experience as an events company helped us scale this quickly, but it’s the trust we’ve built over time, as SBC and through Sport Global, that opened doors and made people want to get involved. And of course, none of this would be possible without the unbelievable team behind the scenes who turned a big idea into something real in record time.

The Legends Charity Game will take place on September 15, just a day before the SBC Summit 2025 kicks off. How do you envision the synergy between the charity game and SBC Summit? 

RS: The timing of the Legends Charity Game on September 15 is obviously very convenient. It’s a way to open SBC Summit 2025 with purpose, emotion, and meaning. The Summit is our biggest show yet, expecting 30,000 attendees from across the global gaming and tech industries. But before all the panels, meetings, and networking kick off, we wanted to ground everyone in what we are really passionate about: a genuine love for sport and a belief in its power to bring people together.

The Legends Charity Game gives us a chance to pause and do something meaningful as a community. It’s about football, connection, and giving back. It brings together iconic players, fans, industry professionals, and local communities around a shared moment. And starting the week that way, not with a handshake, but with heart, changes the tone of everything that follows. Yes, we run major events for the iGaming world, but our mission is bigger than that. We’re here to grow not just the industry, but the impact it can have. That’s the synergy, and it’s what makes this week in Lisbon feel truly special.

And, by the way, on Tuesday, September 16, many of the players from both the Portugal and World Legends squads will appear live on the Super Stage at the MEO Arena. Hosted by Kirsty Gallacher, this will be a rare opportunity for attendees to hear directly from the legends, ask questions, and share a moment with some of football’s most iconic figures. It’s a continuation of the emotion from the night before, and for many, it will be the first time seeing these football greats. What an experience.