Overview

• Twenty-two adults living with dementia will lead both teams out at Wembley, replacing the usual child mascots and joining for the national anthems.
• England’s players will wear nameless shirts in the second half to illustrate how dementia can erase even familiar names.
• The friendly is designated an “Alzheimer’s Society International,” the fourth such match under a partnership reported to have raised £1.3m over four years.
• Participants were selected from Alzheimer’s Society service users along with nominations from clubs, their foundations, and independent dementia services and cafés.
• FA chief Mark Bullingham and FAW CEO Noel Mooney backed the initiative, with fans Andy Paul and Chris Griffiths among those chosen to take part.