Monaco is gearing up for one of its most high-profile charity fixtures of the year as the Fight AIDS Cup returns to Stade Louis II on Saturday, January 24, bringing together football royalty in support of a long-standing humanitarian cause.
Now in its sixth edition, the gala match will once again pit the Barbagiuans of Monaco against Cirque FC, combining sporting spectacle with a clear charitable mission. Timed to coincide with the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, the event has become a winter staple in the Principality’s calendar, drawing crowds, cameras and some of the biggest names the game has produced.
This year’s line-up reads like a Ballon d’Or afterparty. Eden Hazard, Clarence Seedorf, Christian Karembeu, Youri Djorkaeff and Bafétimbi Gomis are all confirmed, alongside regulars Robert Pirès and Ludovic Giuly. Louis Ducruet, president and captain of the Barbagiuans, will once again lead his side on the pitch, continuing a project that has steadily expanded beyond Monaco’s former players to embrace global football icons.
That international opening-up is no accident. Under Ducruet’s stewardship, the Barbagiuans have evolved from a local legends team into a broader platform capable of amplifying the Fight AIDS Monaco message well beyond the Principality. The association, founded and chaired by Princess Stéphanie, has been at the forefront of HIV awareness and support for more than two decades.
Opposition will come from a Cirque FC side with a pronounced Italian flavour this year, reflecting the strong ties between the Circus Festival and Italian audiences. The headline name is Andriy Shevchenko, who will captain the team on his Fight AIDS Cup debut. The former Ballon d’Or winner and current president of the Ukrainian Football Association described his participation as both an honour and a responsibility, stressing that the cause outweighs any result on the scoreboard.
That said, pride is still very much at stake. Cirque FC currently leads the head-to-head record, with four wins from the first five editions. The Barbagiuans, victors only once so far, are keen to redress the balance and avoid another year of friendly ribbing in the Princely corridors.
Beyond the scoreline, the numbers that matter most sit off the pitch. Thanks to the Fight AIDS Cup and related initiatives, the Barbagiuans have now donated more than one million euros to Fight AIDS Monaco, making them the association’s largest contributor. For its directors, the event delivers not just funding, but visibility, momentum and a powerful reminder of what collective action can achieve.
The match kicks off at 15.30 and will be broadcast live on TV Monaco and online. For one afternoon, football at Stade Louis II will be less about silverware and more about solidarity — a reminder that, at its best, the game still knows how to serve something bigger than itself.
