Soccer Aid 2022 – Shot Of The Month – June 2022

‘Shot of the Month’ is brought to you by Sport Industry Awards partner Shutterstock. In this ongoing image-led series, we turn the spotlight on those behind the lens. Telling the story of the standout photos that grace newspapers, magazines and digital screens around the world from the photographer’s point of view.

Kieran McManus, Shutterstock

Soccer Aid is the only event where you can see an Olympic athlete and a former boyband member have a kick-about with a Dragon’s Den investor. On 12th June, millions of spectators tuned in to watch the annual charity match that combines celebrities from  all walks of life and sports personalities for a friendly football game.  Taking to the pitch this year wasSteven Bartlett and Cafu, under the watchful eye of Arsene Wenger, all in aid of UNICEF. 

For an amateur game, there was some great football on display, from Noah Beck knocking in the first goal to the penalties that decided the end result. Team World XI took home the trophy for the second year in a row, after Lee Mack scored the winning penalty.  

This event is always a pleasure to attend and photograph. The energy is phenomenal and the fact that it’s all for a great cause makes it even better. The star-studded excitement does not stop on the pitch, as the stands are normally filled with recognisable faces, making it crucial that we capture images of the spectators as well as the players themselves.  

Soccer Aid appears on front pages across the country, and there is often pressure to ensure we have the best on and off pitch content for publishers. Compared to a professional football match, action on the Soccer Aid pitch can be a lot harder to predict but can also provide some great banter amongst the players which we know the public want to see! There’s always points in the game when you know you hit the back-of-the-net with a great image. For me it was this one.