Italian legend Leonardo Bonucci did not hold back in Sunday’s Soccer Aid charity match as he left former England Women’s captain Steph Houghton writhing in agony after putting in a brutal sliding tackle.
The annual charity match at Old Trafford had been played in good spirits, but Bonucci’s competitive edge took over in the closing stages as the World XI closed in on a 5-4 victory.
With the ball played down England’s right flank, Bonucci and Houghton both went in for a 50/50 challenge. While Houghton appeared a little hesitant, Bonucci fully committed and won the ball, but his momentum saw him crash into Houghton who collapsed to the turf.
Bonucci came away with the ball, but quickly spotted that Houghton was in distress and stopped play so that she could receive treatment.
Houghton was attended to for a couple of minutes before she finally got back to her feet and was able to continue for the final minutes of the game.
The tackle immediately went viral, with fans on social media largely praising Bonucci for his no-nonsense approach.
Leonardo Bonucci took out Steph Houghton with a brutal sliding tackle at Soccer Aid
Houghton was left in agony and needed treatment after Bonucci crashed into her
Ex-England Women’s captain Houghton was able to finish the game after receiving treatment
Bonucci was hailed by one fan for putting in a ‘proper challenge’ despite it being a charity match
Another X user branded the incident ‘fantastic’, praising Bonucci’s no-nonsense attitude
One supporter suggested the moment cemented Bonucci as a ‘legend’ of the game
However, Paddy Power questioned whether Bonucci had forgotten the match was for charity
‘Proper challenge. Houghton can take it and wouldn’t want it any other way,’ one X user wrote.
Another fan hailed him as a ‘legend’, while one supporter simply branded the incident ‘fantastic’.
However, some were left stunned that Bonucci hadn’t pulled out of the tackle given that it was only a charity match to raise money for UNICEF.
Paddy Power asked on its social media account: ‘Does Leonardo Bonucci know it’s a charity game?’
Bonucci only retired from professional football last year after finishing his career at Fenerbahce.
He is best known for his time at Juventus, where he won nine Serie A titles, while he was also part of Italy’s Euros-winning team in 2021.
Houghton also called time on her own playing career in 2024 after winning 121 caps for England.
She captained the Lionesses to a third-place finish at the 2015 World Cup.
