The Burgeoning World of Street Soccer

When professional football players are asked how they found themselves in the position to execute a stunning overhead kick or precision free-kick, they typically mention "years of practice and training”. 

Of course, impressionable young fans only get to see those few seconds of skill on a television screen before then spending hours in the back garden trying to replicate their hero from memory.

But a new breed of soccer hero has really exploded into popular consciousness over the past decade and they aren’t shy about showing off their skills for both football and social networking, and TV is the last media they think of. 

Football freestylers and other street soccer advocates are capturing the public's imagination with their flicks, tricks and exciting skills. Now they, alongside business-savvy brands, are exploiting the opportunities of social media to benefit all involved. 

Take the F2 Football Freestylers who partnered in 2010 and are now doing tricks and giving tips to millions of YouTube subscribers and Instagram followers.

And they aren’t alone, there are now many street soccer magicians helping to take catapult the sport into public consciousness. People like four-time world champion Andrew Henderson whose massive social audience has been treated to videos of him performing with Brazilian superstar Neymar and being interviewed about his positive experiences of social media marketing as a new generation of soccer heroes emerges for the YouTube and Facebook generation

Or how about Dutchman Edward van Gils, the first internationally known street footballer? Frequently referred to as the “Godfather of Street Soccer”, the Dutch side he captains has lifted the World Street Soccer Championships on both occasions the event has been staged. 

He used his talent to set up StreetKings, a company that uses the universal appeal of street soccer to work with brands like Nike, organize tournaments, as well as getting involved with social projects all over the globe.

As excitement for the World Cup 2018 builds ahead of June 14th, brands and sponsors will undoubtedly be considering street soccer performers and their platforms. World Freestyle Football Champion Liv Cooke, for example, was commissioned by Channel Four to star in an advert for their coverage of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 tournament.

A new generation of soccer heroes is carving a huge global audience using social media and brands are increasingly keen to work with them to target an audience hungry for engaging, short-form, on demand content.