Game4Ricky: Football and sporting legends will come together in Manchester to honour Ricky Hatton

Game4Ricky launched on 6th October, Ricky Hatton’s birthday, with Manchester coming together to celebrate the life and legacy of ‘The Hitman’

• Tickets are on sale now for the match at the Joie Stadium on Sunday 15th November.
• The match kicks off at 2:15pm, with a huge afternoon of football and entertainment celebrating one of Manchester’s favourite sons.
• The event will be broadcast live and for free on 5 and broadcast around the world raising vital funds for mental health and suicide prevention charities.

Tickets are on sale now, from £15, for Game4Ricky, a star-studded celebrity football match that will see Team Hitman take on Team Hatton as Manchester comes together to celebrate the life and legacy of one of the city’s most loved sporting heroes, Ricky Hatton.

Taking place at the Joie Stadium on the Etihad Campus on Sunday 15 November, the match will kick-off at 2:15pm, with football legends, world champion sports stars, music artists, television personalities and entertainment icons coming together for an unforgettable afternoon in Ricky’s honour.

A range of hospitality packages, starting at £200pp, are also on sale now, giving supporters the opportunity to elevate their Game4Ricky experience with premium options available for individuals, groups and businesses.

Game4Ricky will celebrate everything Ricky represented: his love of sport, his love of Manchester, his connection with ordinary people and the unmistakable personality that made him one of the most popular British sportsmen of his generation.

More than simply a football match, Game4Ricky will be a celebration of one of Manchester’s favourite sons, bringing people together to remember Ricky, celebrate the incredible moments he gave the city and create a lasting legacy in his name.

The event is being produced by LGNDS, specialists in major live-broadcast celebrity and legends events, with an extraordinary international line-up being assembled for the occasion.

The full squads, Team Hitman and Team Hatton, will feature a mix of iconic football legends, Champions League and World Cup winners, world champion sports stars, music artists and well-known names from television and entertainment, with player and celebrity announcements set to be revealed in the build-up to the match.

Ricky Hatton’s relationship with Manchester went far beyond sport. From the thousands who travelled around the world to watch him fight to the generations who identified with his humour, personality and down-to-earth character, Ricky belonged to Manchester – and Manchester always belonged to Ricky.

Game4Ricky will celebrate that connection by bringing people together at the Joie Stadium for an afternoon of football, entertainment and remembrance in Ricky’s honour.

Proceeds from the event will support the vital work of Manchester City’s official charity, City in the Community (CITC), helping to create a positive legacy in Ricky’s name. The foundation will distribute the funds to support mental health initiatives across Greater Manchester and the UK

The event promises an unmissable day out for families and fans, with sporting figures, stars from music and entertainment, digital creators and former footballers music artists, digital creators and former footballing greats taking to the pitch.

The entire spectacle will also be broadcast live across the UK and internationally, allowing viewers around the world to join Manchester in celebrating Ricky’s life and supporting the causes being championed in his name.

Campbell Hatton, captain of Team Hatton, commented: "Manchester meant everything to my dad. Wherever he travelled in the world, he was always incredibly proud of where he came from and of the people of this city.

"What makes Game4Ricky so special is that it gives Manchester the chance to come together and celebrate him – not just as a world champion, but as a dad, a mate and somebody who genuinely loved this city and its people.

"Mental health is a battle nobody should have to fight alone. To see so many incredible names from sport and entertainment coming together in his honour, while raising money to help other people in his name, would have made my dad incredibly proud. I know he'll be looking down on us."

City in the Community Chief Executive Mike Geary said: "Ricky was one of our own. A lifelong Blue who carried his love for Manchester City with him onto some of the biggest stages in world sport, while always remaining incredibly connected to the people and communities of Manchester.

"It therefore feels particularly meaningful that funds raised through Game4Ricky will create a positive legacy in his name.

"For City in the Community, that support will help us continue to empower healthier lives through football across Greater Manchester. Through programmes such as City Thrive, we provide dedicated mental health support to young people, creating safe spaces where they can connect, build confidence and develop tools to support their emotional wellbeing.

"We're incredibly proud to be part of Game4Ricky. Every pound raised will help make a tangible difference to people's lives – a fitting legacy for someone who meant so much to this city."

Event Details

Event: Game4Ricky – An International Celebrity Charity Football Match Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton

Venue: Joie Stadium, Etihad Campus, Manchester

Date: Sunday 15 November 2026

Kick-Off: 2:15pm

Tickets: https://www.mancity.com/tickets/mens/game4ricky-ticket-information-202627

About City in the Community: City in the Community is Manchester City's official charity, founded in 1986, and exists to empower healthier lives with city youth through football. The charity uses the reach of Manchester City to engage communities across Greater Manchester through meaningful programmes focused on healthy people, healthy futures and healthy communities.

During the 2024/25 season, the charity generated an estimated £43.7 million in social value, equating to £11.45 of social benefit for every £1 invested.

City in the Community delivered 20 programmes to more than 17,000 participants across Greater Manchester, with an average contact time of 23.4 hours per person.

For more information, visit Manchester City's City in the Community website.

About LGNDS: LGNDS has more than 20 years’ heritage as pioneers in large-scale, purpose-led football and entertainment events with the biggest clubs, bringing together some of the most iconic names in football, sport and entertainment at major stadiums for international broadcast audiences.

Its team has been behind landmark charity matches including Game4Grenfell, Game4Ukraine, the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy, Celtic v Manchester United for East African famine relief and Match of the Heart at Fiorentina, reaching millions of viewers around the world and raising millions of pounds for important causes.

The team also pioneered the first-ever Legends match broadcast on UK television - the memorable England v Germany charity match featuring football greats and celebrities, which became famous for Boris Johnson’s unforgettable rugby-style tackle on Maurizio Gaudino - helping establish the legends/celebrity match format that has since become a major part of televised football entertainment.