Liam Payne trained for 3 months at soccer to raise $20m for charity with Usain Bolt

Before his passing, former One Direction singer Liam Payne dedicated three months to soccer training, raising millions for UNICEF through Soccer Aid charity matches

Liam Payne practiced soccer for 3 months to raise money (Image: Getty)NewsSportsEntertainmentLifestyleElectionNFL  ByRory RobinsonUS Sports Journalist19:04 ET, OCT 16 2024Updated19:30 ET, OCT 16 2024    |Bookmark

Before his tragic passing, One Direction star Liam Payne devoted three months to soccer training to raise millions for charity.

With a documented passion for using his platform for philanthropic causes, he saw it as a challenge after admitting that he had never kicked a soccer ball before the event. Payne previously discussed playing soccer for the Soccer Aid charity event with Logan Paul. Despite admitting that he had “never kicked a soccer ball in his life,” Payne was selected to play and lead Team England in the match.

As a promoter of charitable causes, Payne embraced the challenge with total focus and immersed himself into three months of intensive training, entirely intent on fulfilling his promise. His goal was to leverage his voice and presence to support children in need.

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“I’ve been training at the moment in the UK. We play this game called Soccer Aid and it’s a bunch of professional soccer players, like Ronaldinho has played in the past [but] mixed with celebrities,” he said ahead of the 2022 game. “So, I’m the captain of the England team currently at the moment, whose never kicked a football in his life by the way.”

“I’ve had to learn for three months. Jumping into football is like a role for me that I get to play for a certain amount of months. I put my — into everything that I do,” he continued. “I was training twice a day, six times a week. It’s crazy – to learn how to play football. “So, hopefully, I’m half decent and earn a captaincy.”

After captaining Team England in 2022, Payne returned the following year to participate once again in support of UNICEF. The 2022 game raised £15.6 million ($20.3 million) for charity.

Liam Payne during a Soccer Aid match ( Image: Youtube)

The One Direction star also wanted to set an example for his son Bear Gray and others, emphasizing that every child has the right to pursue their dreams and play the game. Bear was born on March 22, 2017, to his ex-fiancee, Sheryl Cole.

Payne was reported to have fallen from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The incident was reported late Wednesday night after local authorities confirmed that a body was found in an internal patio of the hotel.

Hotel management immediately alerted the police, and emergency services were called. Reports indicate that Payne fell from a height of approximately 13 to 14 meters, suffering severe injuries that led to his passing.