Football enthusiasts Ranbir Kapoor and Shoojit Sircar are among the many in Bollywood who have a weekly ritual — on Sunday evenings, they put on their jerseys and head to Bandra’s St Andrews ground for a match or two. Tomorrow, they will strap on their football boots again, this time for a tribute to the God of Football, Diego Maradona. Days after Amazon Prime Video dropped the 10-part series, Maradona: Blessed Dream to coincide with the birth anniversary of the Argentine legend, the All Stars Football Club and digital influencers will come together at Jamnabai Grounds in Vile Parle for a special match.

A source reveals that the friendly match has been in the works for the past few weeks. While it was initially difficult to coordinate the dates due to the stars’ busy schedules, they were more than eager to be part of a tribute to Maradona and altered their plans for the same. “Though Ranbir is currently shooting for an exhaustive schedule of Brahmastra, he was one of the first to jump on board. Shoojit was in Kolkata over the past month and returned to Mumbai on October 30, in time for the match,” says the source.

Ahan Shetty, producer Bunty Walia, television actor Vivian Dsena and tennis star Leander Paes will join the actor-director duo to play against influencers Awez Darbar, RJ Abhinav, Zaid Darbar, Viraj Ghelani and Karan Sonawane, among others. 

Confirming the celebrity match, Walia remembers watching the magic of the late Argentine player, in his growing-up years. “Maradona is one of the most celebrated footballers across the world. He has left a huge legacy behind that can never be matched. This match is a celebration of his legacy and his contribution to the game. We’re beyond excited to do this.”