Some of football’s greatest players ever are poised to participate in an exciting new tournament set to take place in England this year. The tournament, known as the EPG Cup, will feature eight teams battling it out in an over-35s World Cup, The participating teams, including England, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Uruguay, all boast previous FIFA World Cup victories.
What is the over-35s World Cup?
Organized by the Elite Players Group (EPG), the tournament is scheduled to kick off on June 4, with the quarter-finals set to take place on June 4 and 5. The semi-finals will follow on June 8, leading up to the final showdown on June 11. While the venue has yet to be finalized, discussions have reportedly been held with some of the Premier League’s top Northern clubs.
Under the proposals put forth by the Elite Players Group, only players aged 35 or older who have represented their country or made 100 top-flight appearances will be eligible to compete. Matches will be played with 11 players on each side and will last 70 minutes. Teams will have the option to utilize roll-on substitutes from their 18-man squads.
Who is playing in the over-35s World Cup?
Several legendary players have been rumoured to participate in the over-35s World Cup, representing their respective countries. Among the notable names are Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Michael Owen, Kaka, and Francesco Totti, to name a few.
England – Steve McManaman (C), Michael Owen, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, David James, Frank Lampard and Robbie Fowler.
Argentina – Esteban Cambiasso (C), Hernan Crespo and Pablo Zabaleta.
Brazil – Emerson (C), Kaka, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos.
France – Christian Karembeu (C), Thierry Henry and Marcel Desailly.
Germany – Kevin Kuranyi (C), Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira.
Italy – Marco Materazzi (C), Fabio Cannavaro and Francesco Totti.
Spain – Michel Salgado (C), David Villa and Carlos Puyol.
Uruguay – Diego Lugano (C) and Diego Forlan.
Editors pick
