Diego Costa rolled again the years with a 25-yard stunner in a chaotic charity match alongside a bunch of footballing legends corresponding to Thierry Henry, Eden Hazard, Franck Ribery and Gerard Pique.
Costa, 37, has but to formally formally announce his retirement – regardless of being with out a membership since 2024 – and confirmed he nonetheless has loads to supply as he opened the scoring within the star-studded Match for Hope.
The previous Spain worldwide began the match with Hazard taking part in off his left, offering Chelsea followers with a nostalgic throwback to the pair’s fruitful partnership at Stamford Bridge between 2014-2017.
They had been joined by Actual Madrid legend Marcelo and a bunch of influencers lining up on the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Qatar for Arsene Wenger’s ‘Crew Chunkz’, together with I am A Movie star winner AngryGinge.
Their opponents ‘Crew Aboflah’ – managed by Roberto Di Matteo – however, had been spearheaded by Arsenal legend Henry, with Tim Cahill and Ribery taking part in as attacking midfielders and Barcelona icon Pique at centre-back.
The sunshine-hearted charity match not solely supplied its viewers with a glut of targets, however with hilarity too as social media star Bilal Fadili launched a wrestling transfer on KSI.
Diego Costa scored a 25-yard stunner through the charity recreation Match for Hope in Qatar
KSI was on the centre of hilarity within the recreation when he was wrestled by influencer Bilal Fadili
Fadili jumped on the British rapper earlier than sending him flying with a WWE-style twisted transfer
The rapper and Britain’s Bought Expertise decide had simply knocked the ball past Fadili when the influencer jumped on him, hoisted himself up onto his shoulders and despatched him flying with a twist harking back to WWE’s Rey Mysterio.
The referee, nevertheless, determined to play on and the ball fell into the arms of Costa simply moments later, whose long-range shot took YouTuber David Vujanic unexpectedly and hit the again of the online.
Led by Henry, Crew Aboflah started pushing for an equaliser and Henry regarded as harmful as ever as he darted into the field earlier than being slide tackled by Instagram influencer Marlon.
However simply minutes later, Henry would have his revenge as he clipped a free-kick over the wall for former Millwall and Everton star Cahill to nod house.
Within the topsy-turvy affair, Crew Chunkz rapidly soared right into a 4-1 lead by way of targets by American YouTuber Mark Rober, Hazard and social media content material creator Eman SV2.
Nonetheless, Ribery – who had dived in a failed try and win a penalty simply minutes earlier than – set one up for his facet and scored one other to make the rating 4-3, earlier than Henry’s help for YouTuber Taiyo levelled the scoring.
Arsenal icon Arsene Wenger wore a giant smile as his facet ‘Crew Chunkz’ took the lead within the tie
Chunkz, the media persona whose pals embody David Beckham and Maya Jama, then scored a fifth to place ‘Crew Chunkz’ 5-4 up at half-time.
And the insanity continued into the second half as 4 targets had been scored in 16 minutes, together with a second from Costa and a penalty scored by MrBeast.
The YouTube sensation even provided the goalkeeper a briefcase full of cash in order that he wouldn’t save his spot-kick and, whereas it regarded just like the stopper was contemplating rejecting his advances, the referee blew the whistle and the MrBeast slotted it house anyway.
Hazard and Marcelo linked as much as put Crew Chunkz 8-6 forward and regardless of their opponents pulling one again by way of Channel 4 host Harry Pinero’s rebound, the previous Actual Madrid stars left victorious.
It’s the third charity match of its type after the primary instalment in 2024, and the initiatives are believed to have raised greater than £15million for deprived youngsters throughout Africa, Asia and the Center East.
The Chainsmokers and the Jonas Brothers carried out pre-match and at half-time.
