KSI, Ronaldinho, and Lineker to launch Baller League in UK and US

YOUTUBERS KSI and IShowSpeed have teamed up with football icons Ronaldinho, Gary Lineker, and Luis Figo to launch the British and American editions of Baller League.

The six-a-side football format, which originated in Germany, will expand globally in 2025.

The concept was first introduced by footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski, alongside entrepreneur Felix Starck.

The league’s distinctive feature is the involvement of social media influencers with large audiences. KSI, who has 24.8 million YouTube subscribers, has been named president of the UK tournament.

Streamer IShowSpeed, who has over 60m followers across platforms, will serve as president of the US competition. Both appointments were announced on Tuesday.

Other notable participants include Sidemen members Miniminter and Tobi, along with streamer AngryGinge, who will take on managerial roles in the UK event.

Ronaldinho, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002 and a former Barcelona star, is part of the US tournament. Former England captains Lineker and John Terry, as well as ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid forward Figo, have been announced as team managers for the UK edition.

Additional coaches for the UK league include Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, Freddie Ljungberg, Jens Lehmann, and Robert Pires.

The UK tournament is scheduled to run from 3 March to 19 May 2025, with matches held every Monday on indoor pitches. A total of 12 teams will compete, and trials to select players are set to take place in London and Manchester. Eligible participants include former professionals, futsal players, free agents, and released academy players.

All matches will be live-streamed, with YouTuber Chunkz hosting a weekly show.

"Sport is no longer as easy as just saying, 'look, we're here now, come and watch us'," Starck told the BBC. "It needs to be exciting, and it needs to be authentic. Those are the two words that we always use at Baller League."

(With inputs from AFP)