Global stars to feature in Football for Fires exhibition match at Sydney's ANZ Stadium

Tribal Sports Group has confirmed that an exhibition football match to honour thousands of brave volunteer firefighters will be staged at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Saturday 23rd May - with expectations the event will feature some of the world’s highest profile past and present players.

The event tagged #FootballForFires will be held on the same date as the FA Cup Final at ANZ Stadium’s sister venue Wembley Stadium, ensuring international interest in the Australian bushfires relief match.

The scheduling of the event in May will allow an opportunity to honour the endeavours of the brave volunteers who have participated in the daily fight at the frontline of the Australian bushfires crisis, with Rural Fire Service men and women and SES volunteers being invited to the match along with many residents directly impacted by the fires. The event will also raise money directly for Australian bushfires relief funds.

The project is the brainchild of Tribal Sports Management Principal, Lou Sticca, with the Melbourne-based management agency to work with Sydney-based venue operator VenuesLive, which operates ANZ Stadium on behalf of Venues NSW and the NSW Government.

The two parties have worked on numerous football projects throughout Australia, having successfully toured English Premier League clubs Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Looking forward to the event, Sticca stated "the #FootballForFires match will harness The World Game and its star players to draw attention to the Australian bushfire crisis and the crucial rebuilding of communities that will be required long after the fires have eventually burnt out.

“The Sydney match will bring together thousands of volunteers from all areas of Australia who have so bravely fought to save homes and property during the bushfire crisis while also raising much-needed funds for the rebuilding phase.

“Our phones have literally been ringing off the hook since this event was proposed with a host of international and local stars keen to be part of a football match that will honour those who have given so much to their country and to their neighbours.

Further details regarding participating players and ticketing arrangements will be released in due course.

Image shows ANZ Stadium hosting the Western Sydney Wanderers v Arsenal exhibition match in 2017 (top) and Tribal Sports' Lou Sticca (below).