Overview

• Twenty-two supporters living with dementia will accompany both teams for the anthems, replacing the usual child mascots.
• England will return after half-time in shirts without player names to illustrate how dementia can rob people of familiar names.
• Organisers describe this as the fourth Alzheimer’s Society International under the FA partnership, following a similar gesture against Belgium in March 2024.
• FA chief Mark Bullingham and FAW chief Noel Mooney say the event aims to raise awareness and affirm support for people affected by the condition.
• Participants include Alzheimer’s Society service users and nominees from clubs, foundations and independent services, with fans such as Andy Paul and Chris Griffiths sharing their pride; reports say the tie-up has raised about £1.3m over four years.