Leonardo Bonucci gave Steph Houghton a last-ditch challenge during the 2025 Soccer Aid match at Old Trafford.
After being the target of a crucial challenge from Italy great Leonardo Bonucci in Soccer Aid, Steph Houghton responded.
At Old Trafford on Sunday, the former Lionesses captain made her Soccer Aid debut for England and participated in one of the most talked-about moments of the charity match, which helped UNICEF earn £15 million.
With goals from Toni Duggan, Houghton’s former teammate and clubmate Wayne Rooney, and Jermain Defoe, who subsequently scored a second, England was up 3-0 and soaring.
However, the Rest of the World turned it around and won 5-4, spurred on by Carlos Tevez, who scored four goals on his comeback to the Theatre of Dreams.
Tevez played the match as if it were the World Cup final, and he got into a little altercation with Angry Ginge, a United fan who was itching to get revenge for his contentious 2009 exit.
In Soccer Aid, Leonardo Bonucci made a devastating tackle on Steph Houghton.
For his first time playing in Soccer Aid, Tevez’s former Juventus teammate Bonucci also didn’t take the match lightly, crashing into Houghton with a fair but firm challenge.
When Houghton had the ball down her right side and it flew in, the Euro 2020 winner raced across to defend, winning the ball but crashing into the three-time WSL champion.
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He continued to play and moved up the field with the ball before the referee saw Houghton in pain on the turf and signaled a stoppage.
Houghton, who persevered through injuries during her remarkable playing career, was able to continue despite the challenge being a prominent topic of discussion among viewers online.
Additionally, based on their social media activities, there doesn’t appear to be any hostility between the two. With the cheeky remark, “She’s still alive!!” Bonucci posted a photo of himself and Houghton on his Instagram story.
Houghton liked Bonucci’s post from the game and reposted the photo to her story with the caption, “My guy” and a cheerful emoji.
Big Zuu squeezed a shot past Paddy McGuinness in the 83rd minute to score the game-winning goal in Soccer Aid, celebrating with a Cristiano Ronaldo “Siuu.”
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