FA Cup global appeal to help find missing Madeleine

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) Up to 500 million football supporters around the world are expected to watch an appeal today to find missing Madeleine McCann who was abducted more than two weeks ago while on holiday in Portugal.

A two-minute video of four-year-old Madeleine will be shown at the English FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Chelsea, a Football Association spokesman said.

The match, the first major game to be held at Wembley stadium, is expected to be watched by an audience of some 450 million people in 160 countries, he said.

The short film, set to the soundtrack of the Simple Minds hit ''Don't You Forget About Me'', will be shown on big screens in the run-up to kick-off at 3.00 pm and again at half-time.

It was earlier screened at the UEFA Cup final between Sevilla and Espanyol in Glasgow on Wednesday.

''We've been in close communication with the (McCann) family and those from the government working with them both here and in Portugal.

''Because of the huge attention on the FA Cup Final -- not only in this country, but world-wide -- we felt it was something we could do to help to raise awareness and help in the search for Maddy,'' the FA spokesman said.

The search for the youngster has received widespread media attention all over the world.

Football stars -- including Britain's David Beckham and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo -- have made appeals for her, while wealthy individuals, such as author JK Rowling, have offered large rewards for information leading to her return.

A Web site set up to help find the girl -- who disappeared on 3 May from the bedroom of a holiday villa as her parents dined nearby -- has received more than 75 million hits.

But the appeal has also spawned a string of bogus sites, as tricksters try to cash in on the disappearance, newspaper reports said.

So far, one suspect has been identified by police -- a 33-year-old who lives in the area -- but his name has not been made public and he has not been charged.

REUTERS AGL HT1917