OLYMPIC hero and long-distance runner Sir Mo Farah is set to take to the pitch for the 2024 Soccer Aid match.
Find out more about the much-loved athlete, and who he’ll be playing alongside in the charity game.
Sir Mo Farah was born in Mogadishu, Somalia on March 23, 1983.
He spent the early years of his childhood in neighbouring Djibouti with his twin brother.
His birth name was Hussein Abdi Kahin, and he was trafficked from Djibouti to London under the name Mohamed Farah — which he adopted as his own when he became a British citizen.
When Farah came to the UK, he barely spoke a word of English and worked as a house servant.
His father was killed in the civil war in Somaliland, and his mother has never been to Britain before.
Farah was identified for his athleticism at secondary school in Feltham and says his dream was to become either a mechanic or an Arsenal winger, but instead went on to become an Olympic hero.
In 2010, Farah married longtime girlfriend Tania in Richmond.
They have four children — Farah’s stepdaughter Rhianna, twins Amani and Aisha and son Hussein Mo Farah.
Farah has four Olympic gold medals.
In Rio de Janeiro 2016, he achieved the double-double by winning the 5,000m and 10,000m races, just as he had done in London 2012.
He has also won gold medals at the World Championships in the 5,000m in 2011, 2013 and 2015, as well as gold in the 10,000m in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
He got the silver in the 10,000 in 2011 and was runner-up in London in the 5,000 metres in 2017.
Farah also won gold at the European Championship in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metre races in 2010 and 2014, after winning silver in the 5k in 2006.
On August 24, 2017, Farah retired from the track and said he would focus on marathons.
He has five consecutive half-marathon wins in the Great North Run from 2014-2019 and came third in the London Marathon in 2018.
Farah won the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year in 2017.
In October 2018, Mo won a marathon for the first time in only his third competitive race.
He won in Chicago in a European record of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds.
However in November 2019, he announced his return to the track to defend his 10k title at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but failed to qualify for the event.
In September 2023, Farah retired from competition, signing off with a final appearance at the Great North Run, where he finished in fourth place.
Farah reportedly has a net worth of approximately £4million.
In 2013, he was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours list for services to athletics.
He was knighted by the late Queen in the 2017 New Year Honours.
The lifelong Arsenal fan wanted to play for the Gunners as a child.
He’s since trained with the first team – and even called on former boss Arsene Wenger to sign him up as the team’s fitness coach.
His speed has seen him play up front in previous Soccer Aid matches – however he’s yet to get onto the score sheet.
He’s expected to play up front once again.
Sir Mo will be playing for the England team alongside a star-studded line-up of former pros and top celebs.
The England squad have a triple act of managers as they hope to finally land a win after a number of years of defeat.
Harry Redknapp and Frank Lampard will be bringing their professional management insight to the side, whilst Robbie Williams will be hoping his A-list presence will inspire England to deliver.
Fans can't wait for soccer aid to kick off on Sunday, June 9, 2024.
The FULL line-up of players has been released and it is a mix of celebrities and former pro footballers.
England:
World XI:
Soccer Aid hits TV screens on Sunday, June 9th 2024, with the buildup starting at 6pm.
Hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alex Scott will be on hand to introduce the teams ahead of the kick-off at 7.30pm.
Viewers can watch live on ITV1, ITVX and STV.
