The World Freestyle Football Association

Author: Jordi Mestre

  • The best Freestyle Football in South America comes back to Argentina with Pulse Córdoba 2024

    The best Freestyle Football in South America comes back to Argentina with Pulse Córdoba 2024

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the dates and format of WFFA Pulse Córdoba 2024, the official South American Freestyle Football Championship and the continental qualifier for the World Finals of the sport. 

    This extraordinary event, organised in partnership with the Argentinian federation, the Asociación Cordobesa de Futbol Freestyle (ACFF), will take place in the vibrant city of Córdoba, in the province of the same name, between September 25th and 29th, 2024.

    Unlike last year, Pulse Córdoba 2024 will be open to South American freestylers only, following the Regional Division of the WFFA in place since early 2022. This change is due to Pulse CDMX 2024 happening in Mexico, a country freestylers from all the North American region can access more easily than the USA in 2023.

    Besides the 1×1 Battles competition acting as the qualifier for the World Finals, the Pulse Córdoba 2024 week will also include the Pan American Freestyle Football Open, a tournament for all freestylers from the continent which will feature the following categories:

    • Challenge
    • Sick Three
    • Show Flow
    • Iron Man & Woman
    • Routine
    • Panna 1×1

    The venues of the different competitions, together with the lineup of judges and plenty of other details about this thrilling event, will be announced on the official channels of the WFFA and the ACFF in the coming weeks.

    Steve Elias, president of the WFFA, said: “For us, it’s just marvellous to travel to Córdoba again after last year’s massive success. We are immensely thankful to the ACFF for their extraordinary job, as well as to the city council and its sports agency for their invaluable support. We have no doubt that the 2024 edition will be even more amazing than the first one!”.

    Iris Santiago, secretary of the ACFF, declared: “Last year, we achieved one of our great challenges – providing a Continental Tournament where all the involved parties felt like true stars of the Freestyle Football World. Our city supports sports and gives us the opportunity to keep pushing to become a global reference point for Freestyle Football for all those who want to be part of this wonderful discipline. We will be happy to welcome all of South America to Pulse Córdoba 2024 and hope that the Pan-American Open Freestyle Football Tournament will also be a great challenge for all those who want to experience a week filled with all the extraordinary vibes that this great continent possesses.”

    Héctor ‘Pichi’ Campana, Secretary of Sports of the Municipality of Córdoba, added: “It was a true honour to preside over the presentation of Pulse Córdoba 2023 last year. The good atmosphere and positive energy that was experienced there truly filled my soul. Freestyle Football is truly an art! We will accompany them again this year so that the competitors can enjoy another fantastic event and take away great memories of our city.”

    Registrations are already open on the corresponding Event Page on the website of the WFFA. For more information, follow the official channels of the Association.

    About the ACFF

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    The     Asociación Cordobesa de Fútbol Freestyle (ACFF) is the first civil Association of this sport in Argentina. Since its establishment in 2018, the ACFF member athletes have been part of the Federation of Land Sports, which brings together several extreme and alternative sports, all working together with the support of government entities to promote and support the growth of Freestyle Football.

    For more information about the ACFF, please contact cordobafreestylefutbol@gmail.com or visit its channels:

    Stay tuned to the official channels of the WFFA to follow the latest updates!

  • WFFA Pulse Lagos to bring the best African freestylers to Nigeria in July

    WFFA Pulse Lagos to bring the best African freestylers to Nigeria in July

    The World Freestyle Football Association announced today the format and dates of WFFA Pulse Lagos 2024, the official African Freestyle Football Championship and the continental qualifier for the World Finals of the sport. This extraordinary event, organised in partnership with prestigious Nigerian Freestyle Football promoter Feet ‘N’ Tricks, will feature two stages: an online qualifier that will help find the very best freestylers from all across the continent and a thrilling live Final in the Nigerian capital in July.

    The format of the competition will be as follows:

    • May 17th-June 21st: open online qualifier to select the best 20 freestylers from all of Africa (4 women and 16 men)
    • July 13th: live Finals held in Lagos, Nigeria

    The venue of the final, together with the lineup of judges and plenty of other details about this thrilling event, will be announced on the official channels of the WFFA in the coming weeks.

    WFFA Pulse Lagos will also host the 2024 edition of the Nigerian Freestyle Football Championship, happening at the same venue a few hours before the Finals of the continental Championship.

    Steve Elias, president of the WFFA, said: “We are really proud to present a physical Final for the second edition of our Pulse Series in Africa. We learned a lot from last year’s experience, and we believe this new hybrid format will boost the participation of the local community while generating a fantastic physical event for the whole continent to enjoy. We are very thankful to Feet’N’Tricks for their invaluable partnership and support!”.

    Valentine Ozigbo, Chairman of Feet’N’Tricks, added: “It is a great feeling to have the event back In Nigeria again for the first time since 2020. Over the years, the country has become a major anchor for the development of Freestyle football in Africa. The Nigerian and African Championships (two tournaments in one event) will feature the best Freestyle Football wizardry from across Africa, along with fantastic entertainment, and it promises to offer a show like never before. I look forward to it with excitement.”

    About Feet’N’Tricks

    Established in 2017, Feet ‘N’ Tricks has evolved from its humble origins to become a prominent figure in the promotion of Freestyle Football throughout Africa. Its mission is centered on elevating the standards of this dynamic sport across the continent.

    Driven by passion, Feet ‘N’ Tricks not only showcase the excitement of Freestyle Football but also strive to inspire, develop, and provide a platform for emerging talents. As a trailblazer in Freestyle Football, the organisation has successfully organised four Nigerian championships, four African championships, and was instrumental in hosting the inaugural World Championship in Africa. This underscores its pivotal role in offering talented Africans a global stage to exhibit their skills and enhance their marketability on an international scale.

    Feet ‘N’ Tricks’ recent events have drawn participants from over 30 countries, underscoring the widespread appeal and influence of the initiative. These events are integral to its commitment to advancing the sport, nurturing talent, and fostering a vibrant global community of freestylers. They not only showcase exceptional skills but also celebrate the rich cultural diversity found within the African continent.

    For more information about Feet ‘N’ Tricks, please visit their channels:

    Stay tuned to the official channels of the WFFA to follow the latest updates!

  • The WFFA presents its Freestyle Football Workshops program for educational institutions

    The WFFA presents its Freestyle Football Workshops program for educational institutions

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the launch of a new initiative aimed at offering Freestyle Football Workshops to schools, sports academies, youth centres and all kinds of educational institutions worldwide. In collaboration with trained coaches and professional freestylers, the WFFA aims to inspire and empower the next generation of athletes through these engaging and educational workshops.

    The new program offers two levels of engagement: the Free Starter Pack, with basic tools to present the sport to kids and teachers, and the Live Capacity Building Training, which provides an immersive session with world-class freestylers. These options provide institutions of all sizes and backgrounds with the flexibility to choose the kind of support that best fits their needs and budget, ensuring a seamless and enriching experience for participants of all ages and levels.

    Minna Marlo, Head of Development at the WFFA, said: “We’re thrilled to introduce our Freestyle Football Workshop program, which represents a significant step forward in our mission to promote the sport’s values and opportunities to young people everywhere. By providing tailored workshops and resources, we’re equipping educators and community leaders with the tools they need to engage and inspire the next generation.”

    Visit our Online Form to learn more about the program and request a workshop. For more details about the development offering of the WFFA, please contact development@thewffa.org.

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

  • The WFFA announces the locations of the 2024 Pulse Events

    The WFFA announces the locations of the 2024 Pulse Events

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the location and the corresponding slots of all events of the 2024 Pulse Series, the official continental championships that act as qualifiers for the World Freestyle Football Championship.

    After the massive success of the first edition of the series, this second instalment will travel again to all continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific) and feature an Online tournament for those freestylers living in remote countries or who couldn’t join their closest Pulse Event due to injury.

    The 2024 Pulse Series will take place between June and October in the following locations:

    • Sopot (Poland)
    • Lagos (Nigeria)
    • Mexico City (Mexico)
    • Córdoba (Argentina)
    • Jakarta (Indonesia)

    Following the usual policy of the Pulse Series, all freestylers will be able to choose whether they compete in a physical event or in Pulse Online. However, once a decision is made, there will be no second chance: no freestyler will be allowed to participate in two different Pulse Events in the same season.

    In 2024, unlike in the first edition of the global series, no freestyler will be allowed to compete in a Pulse Event outside their region; this means that freestylers from the Americas will need to compete either in Pulse CDMX if they are from North American nations or in Pulse Córdoba if they hold the nationality of a South American country. For more details about the Regional Division of the WFFA, please check the corresponding file, available on the Rules & Regulations section of our website.

    The participation numbers and the competitive record of the athletes from each region in 2023 have been taken into account to allocate the spots for the 2024 edition of the Series, resulting in a small modification; one of the slots available for female freestylers in Asia-Pacific has been moved to South America, as depicted in the chart below.

    The exact details of all individual Pulse Events, as well as the registration process, will be announced on the WFFA channels in the coming weeks. More information will also be made available on the official Event Calendar on our website. For further questions, please send an email to pulse-series@thewffa.org – and follow the official channels of the WFFA to stay up to date!

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

  • The WFFA opens the bidding process for the host destinations of the 2025 competitive circuit

    The WFFA opens the bidding process for the host destinations of the 2025 competitive circuit

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the opening of the bidding process to select the cities that will host the major events of the official Freestyle Football competitive circuit during the 2025 season, including the five physical competitions of the Pulse Series and the jewel of the crown of the tour – the World Freestyle Football Championship.

    The Pulse Series of Continental Championships will not only crown the very best freestylers on each continent of the world, but also work as a qualifier for the official World Freestyle Football Championship. These events provide two days of action-packed fun for a live audience, as well as reaching a digital audience of over 200 million GenZ eyeballs worldwide. 

    Just as in 2024, all applicants will be required to follow a process that will allow the WFFA experts to evaluate their proposal, including not just the physical facilities the host destinations can offer to the participant athletes but also the values and adequacy of the candidacy.

    The selection procedure will feature four stages, during which the candidates will be asked to provide key information about their proposal. The process will include the reception of all expressions of interest by June 21st, the confirmation of shortlisted destinations announced on July 1st, site visits to all shortlisted options before September 27th, and the announcement of the selected host destinations at the World Freestyle Football Championship 2024.

    For more details about the tender process of the 2025 Freestyle Football global circuit, please visit the dedicated page on the WFFA website at www.thewffa.org/2025-tender. 

    Dan Wood, Head of Partnerships of the WFFA, said: “Off the back of the World Freestyle Football Championship 2023 in Nairobi, which was live-streamed on TikTok, we now have more GenZ eyeballs on the events than ever before. Over 300M people worldwide engage with the content from the events, which presents a huge opportunity for Destinations to showcase themselves. We want to encourage any destination worldwide to get creative and be a part of our future with unique venues and experiences for the athletes.”

    Lucaso Škoda, Head of Operations of the WFFA, added: “Freestyle Football events adapt to essentially any environment, and I would love to see more mid-sized towns and cities welcome the sport. We have worked with some fantastic Destinations in the past and really enjoy promoting where we travel with the athletes, so we’re really looking forward to doing the same with new, fantastic places!”.

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

  • The WFFA partners with Major Events International to bring Freestyle Football to new amazing destinations

    The WFFA partners with Major Events International to bring Freestyle Football to new amazing destinations

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today a new partnership with the prestigious British agency Major Events International (MEI), aimed at connecting the WFFA with cities and event organisers globally. Thanks to this agreement, the WFFA will be able to present the benefits of the events of its global competitive circuit to key stakeholders in the industry and bring Freestyle Football to the most amazing destinations in the world.

    The partnership’s inaugural engagement will feature a delegation of the WFFA travelling to Lausanne, Switzerland to take part in the upcoming Hosts and Federations Summit organised by MEI, which will be held between June 17th and 20th, 2024.

    Dan Wood, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships at the WFFA, explained: “MEI are renowned globally for their ability to connect extraordinary destinations with the most exciting sports properties in the world. With the interest in Freestyle Football events growing at a tremendous rate in recent times, we believe the partnership with them offers us a magnificent opportunity to bring our sport to fantastic new cities and countries.”

    Dennis Mills, CEO at Major Events International, said: “We are excited to be working with the WFFA and bringing their events to a new network of potential hosts going forward. Their attendance at the Hosts and Federations Summit will afford them the opportunity to chat with our host city network face to face.”

    About Major Events International

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    Major Events International     (MEI) specialises in helping sports rights holders, host cities, government agencies and suppliers succeed in the opportunities arising from bidding for, and hosting, major sporting events. 

    MEI provide a single point of contact for support helping rights holders to mitigate risk, minimise cost and increase revenues and fan engagement; delivered via proactive key account management and, where necessary consultancy.

    For more information about Major Events International, please contact enquiries@majoreventsint.com or visit their channels:

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

  • Armenia, Bangladesh, Cuba and El Salvador join the Global Network

    Armenia, Bangladesh, Cuba and El Salvador join the Global Network

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the inclusion of four new members to its most precious structure, the Global Network: Armenia, in Europe, Bangladesh, in Asia-Pacific, and Cuba and El Salvador, in Central America-Caribbean, have officially joined the list of communities that help the WFFA shape and evolve the sport of Freestyle Football around the world.

    Four renowned freestylers and respected figures in their local communities (Hayk Aghaqaryan in Armenia, Salim Sadman Sii in Bangladesh, Hugo Manuel Corcho in Cuba and Kenneth Zelaya in El Salvador) will become the new Country Leaders of these three nations, the latest to join an organisation that now spans across 117 countries in all inhabited continents.

    Pekko ‘PeGe’ Piirto, Head of the Global Network, said: “It’s with great pleasure that we welcome another four nations to our Network. The four selected Country Leaders are true freestylers at heart, with a strong love for our sport and a great desire to help it grow and develop. We are really looking forward to working together with all of them!”.

    Steve Elias, President of the WFFA, added: “I am really happy and proud to see how the Global Network, the most important tool we have at the Association to help our sport develop, keeps growing unstoppably. We can now cater to communities and individuals across over 100 countries, and we want to keep expanding our reach to offer the best possible support to every single freestyler on the planet”.

    The task to build and consolidate the Global Network doesn’t end here: new additions are currently in the making, with individuals in several countries having presented their credentials to join the organisation. The Freestyle Football community can expect more exciting updates very soon!

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

  • The WFFA renews the bond with its 15 Key Leaders around the world

    The WFFA renews the bond with its 15 Key Leaders around the world

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the renewal of its 15 Key Leaders, the backbone of the Global Network across the five continents. The respected individuals that conform to this list, a mix of current and former athletes of all ages and origins, will act yet another year as the connection between the Global Team and Board of the WFFA and the local communities in the 117 countries where the Association has a representative.

    The list of Key Leaders, available on the specific page of our official website, features:

       

       

    Pekko ‘PeGe’ Piirto, the Head of the Global Network, said: “It’s a massive honour for us to have these fifteen extraordinary individuals liaising with the different Freestyle Football communities across the world. Their role is instrumental in the success of an organisation of such cultural diversity as the WFFA, and therefore we are extremely thankful for their commitment and hard work. We’re really looking forward to yet another successful season this 2024!”.

    To learn more about the structure and history of the WFFA, please visit the corresponding page on our website.

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

  • Sora Suzuki and Shihaya Fukuda take the 2023 Youth Championship titles to Japan

    Sora Suzuki and Shihaya Fukuda take the 2023 Youth Championship titles to Japan

    Tournify Check the official results of the tournament on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!

    The third edition of the World Youth Freestyle Football Championship ended with a blast last Sunday, December 10th as the best under-16 freestylers in the globe competed for the title in thrilling live Finals. In the end, the Japanese community shone brighter than any other as Sora Suzuki and Shihaya Fukuda, both from the land of the rising sun, took the female and male titles respectively.

    In the male category, Karl Jordal from Norway displayed an amazing collection of skills and took the silver medal, while Cấn Minh Đức from Vietnam finished in third place. Meanwhile, in the female bracket, Amalie Mørk from Denmark ended up in the second position after showing an extraordinary level of freestyle, just like Waka Nagamine from Japan, who came up third.

    Apart from the 1v1 battle competition, the WFFA Youth Championship also offered two Special Awards to its participants: Best Trick and Best Freestyle Spirit. The winners of these awards were the following:

    The event was judged by a top-notch team of judges, featuring the likes of Charly Iacono, Paloma P. Mayo, Leon Pokrovsky, Tommaso Daigoro and Yousef ‘Yorok’ Ayman.

    Experience again all the thrills of the 2023 World Youth Freestyle Football Championship on the official YouTube channel of the WFFA:

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    For more information about the dates and structure of the tournament, make sure to visit the corresponding Event Page on the official website of the WFFA!

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

  • The WFFA teams up with World Football Summit to tackle themes of fan engagement, governance and future technology in Sports

    The WFFA teams up with World Football Summit to tackle themes of fan engagement, governance and future technology in Sports

    The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today a new partnership with World Football Summit, the most dynamic and reputable Football Business conference in the world, to bring their experience of innovation, impact and entertainment to wider audiences.

    The football industry is evolving rapidly and new generations are expecting different experiences both in the physical and digital worlds. Freestyle Football provides an accessible and highly engaging experience, currently receiving over 5 billion video views per year from a primarily GenZ audience. 

    Whether it’s a halftime performance in a stadium, playing games such as EA FC’s Volta, watching amazing tricks through social media platforms or actually picking up a ball and having a go in your own backyard, there is something for everyone with Freestyle and Street Football.

    The WFFA are currently in the process of launching the first decentralised governance model in sport to give Freestyle Football athletes an active and transparent voice on all matters, with professional football clubs and players collaborating with the community in a bid to engage and grow their audiences. All of these stories and more are what will be unveiled in greater detail together with World Football Summit.

    “Having attended WFS as a delegate for a number of years now, it is very exciting for us to now have the platform within the prestigious network they have created worldwide”, said Dan Wood, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships at the WFFA. “We want to promote the values and opportunity that Freestyle Football brings to the industry, but also tell the stories of incredible athletes and their power to inspire and engage audiences.”

    “We have always been big fans of bringing new perspectives to the football industry and our partnership with the WFFA is a great way to do so”, said Jan Alessie, Cofounder and Director of World Football Summit. “This partnership will generate discussion around innovation, offer great entertainment for all attendees, and help the industry learn new ways to engage GenZ fans worldwide”.

    The partnership will kick off at the upcoming summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 12-13, where WFFA representatives will be discussing the potential use case of blockchain technology in Sport. The Association will also facilitate the connection with local freestylers from the local community which will surely offer a unique show to the attending delegates. 

    About World Football Summit

    World Football Summit is the premier platform connecting the football industry worldwide. Through conferences, events, and digital platforms, WFS provides opportunities for stakeholders to network, discuss trends, and collaborate to shape the future of football.

    For more information about WFS, please visit www.worldfootballsummit.com.

    For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!

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