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Thierry Henry, Rio Ferdinand to lead legend-packed Nexon Icons Match teams

Published: 18 Jul. 2025, 14:09

Thierry Henry, left, Rio Ferdinand [NEXON]

Thierry Henry and Rio Ferdinand are coming back to Seoul — and they’re bringing some of football’s biggest names with them.

Game publisher Nexon announced Thursday that the French icon and former England star will headline the second Icons Match, set for Sept. 13 and 14 at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul. Henry will return as head coach of FC Spear, while Ferdinand once again captains Shield United, marking their second straight appearance in the blockbuster exhibition.

The Icons Match, an all-star clash of 35 international football legends, pits two wildly stacked teams against each other: FC Spear, made up entirely of attacking players, and Shield United, packed with defensive players. Last year’s inaugural match drew over 64,000 fans to the stadium and racked up more than six million livestream views as fans watched childhood heroes like Kaka, Luis Figo, Andrea Pirlo, Rivaldo, Alessandro Del Piero and Clarence Seedorf light up the pitch.

This year, FC Spear is hungry for redemption after suffering a crushing 4-1 defeat to Shield United. Didier Drogba has confirmed his return, and Italian goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon joins as a new addition.

Korea’s own football icon Park Ji-sung, 44, will make a stunning comeback. After retiring due to a knee injury, Park has spent the past year training for what’s expected to be his only competitive appearance in years, a personal "thank you" to the fans who have stood by him.

The two-day spectacle kicks off Sept. 13 with minigames and exhibition events, with the main clash set for Sept. 14. Nexon said more star players will be announced in the coming weeks, fueling fan anticipation for a rematch that promises to be nothing short of electric.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]