The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the launch of the Event Guidelines page, a feature on the official website of the organisation that has been created with the aim of supporting Freestyle Football event organisers from all around the world.
The new page, which has already been tested by selected members of the community, includes an online form that event organisers will be asked to fill in in order to receive logistical support from the WFFA. As soon as all the information has been passed onto the Events team of the Association, the latter will provide a specific support package for organisers, which among others includes the following:
Presence on the social media channels of the WFFA
Specific GameDay page for registrations
Customised Tournify page to collect and present all results
Support with the logistics of the live stream to broadcast the event on the WFFA YouTube and Facebook
Inclusion in the upcoming Global Rankings of the sport
Further ad-hoc services, including flyer design and other features
All these services are completely free for event organisers all around the world, and the WFFA encourages all communities to resort to them at any time.
Pekko Piirto, Head of the Global Network at the WFFA, said: “We are thrilled to launch this new service for event organisers. Our objective is to offer as many free benefits as possible to every single leader in each of our 115 member countries in order to help them nurture their communities, professionalise their teams and cater to the needs of all their athletes”.
For any further support, organisers can also refer to the WFFA Events team at events@thewffa.org.
Stay tuned to the official channels of the WFFA to follow the latest updates!
To register, visit the official page of the event at GameDay: click on the logo and sign up now!
Check the official results of the tournament on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!
The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the opening of registrations for the 2022 edition of the WFFA Youth Championship, the global tournament aimed at the next generation of freestylers. This year’s Youth Championship, which will offer separate categories for boys and for girls, will change its platform and move from the old WFFA App to a more accessible format via Whatsapp: to sign up, participants only need to access the specific page of the competition in GameDay and fill in the corresponding online form before November 7th, 2022 at 23:59h CET.
The Youth Championship is an under-16 tournament, and hence anyone who wishes to participate will need to be 15 years of age or younger at the time of the closing of registrations on November 7th, 2022. No freestylers aged 16 or older will be accepted into the competition.
Once freestylers have registered correctly for the tournament, they will receive an email with a link to the Parental Form they will need to send back to the WFFA, conveniently signed by a parent or legal guardian, in order to participate in the competition. As soon as this process is completed, participants will get a message on Whatsapp (or an equivalent messaging platform for countries in which this system is not available) with instructions on how to send their qualification videos.
The 2022 edition of the WFFA Youth Championship will follow this structure:
October 24th to November 7th: Registration period. No registrations will be accepted after November 7th
November 9th to November 16th: Qualification stage. Freestylers will be asked to send their qualification videos between those dates. No videos will be accepted after November 16th
November 29th to December 5th: Top64 stage in Circles format, all happening via Whatsapp
December 12th to December 15th: Top16 stage in 1×1 battles format, all happening via Whatsapp
December 17th: Grand Finals (Top8, Semifinals, Bronze Battles, Finals) happening on a live event; participants will get all information beforehand so they can prepare accordingly
The 2022 edition of the WFFA Youth Championship will use the Official Rules of Freestyle Football for its battles. The team of judges for the tournamentwill be announced on the official channels of the WFFA before the start of the qualification round. Stay tuned!
For more details about the 2022 WFFA Youth Championship, please visit the corresponding Event Page on our website. All tournament results will be collated on the official Tournify page of the competition.
The World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) has joined forces with character education experts Amazing People Schools (APS) to create the extraordinary new digital education tool ‘Our Amazing Freestyle Community’.
Featuring the stories of 10 incredibly talented and diverse freestylers from around the globe, the Our Amazing Freestyle Community website showcases each freestyler’s road to success, identifying the key character strengths needed for them to overcome adversity and challenges in their lives to become the successful athletes we know today.
The goal of the website is to engage young people through the exciting world of Freestyle Football with the objective of equipping them with key character-building tools that will help them thrive whatever their life circumstances may be.
Frances Corcoran, Managing Director at Amazing People Schools, said: “Amazing stories are everywhere but don’t always get the airtime they deserve. This is why we are so excited to be collaborating with the WFFA on Our Amazing Freestyle Community website, which shines a well-deserved spotlight on these inspirational athletes and the journeys they have been on to do what they love. We work with schools year-round and know the impact these stories of perseverance, resilience and creativity can have.”
Ben Tegg, Director of Engagement at Amazing People Schools, said: “Our Amazing Community is completely unique concept within the Sport For Good arena. We all know that sport is an amazing tool for engaging and educating young people and we are really proud to be able to take the skills we learnt from Amazing People Schools to add character education into that space.”
Minna Marlo, Head of Development at the WFFA, said: “Sport in general, and Freestyle Football in particular, is an extraordinary means to change the world for the better. As the global governing organ for our discipline, at the WFFA we are completely aligned with the values of Amazing People Schools and we feel this new website is just the start of a very productive, long-term relationship!”.
Dan Wood, Head of Partnerships at the WFFA, said: “The launch of this collaboration with Amazing People Schools fills us with pride. We believe in our sport as a tool for good and have been working to leverage the endless educational possibilities it offers since the foundation of the WFFA: seeing them materialise into this program makes us really happy”.
About Amazing People Schools
Amazing People Schools is where storytelling meets character development, and is based on over 20 years of research into the lives of Amazing People who have changed our world. Be inspired to build creativity with world-renowned artist Frida Kahlo or resilience with a little help from Olympian Abebe Bikila!
Amazing People School’s award-winning character and well-being platform supports young people around the world to harness these innate character strengths, believe in themselves, and flourish. All schools can try it for free!
Check the official website of the World Final on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!
Words by Trish Medalen for Red Bull Content Pool.
Freestyle Football fans were thrilled in Pula, Croatia, as the world’s 16 best male and eight best female freestylers put on a display of style and skill at the 2022 Red Bull Street Style World Finals.
In the men’s competition, the brilliant Norwegian brothers Brynjar and Erlend Fagerli went head-to-head in a tense final battle. Brynjar produced a great performance in his final global freestyle competition before retiring, but younger brother Erlend edged a close contest to win his fourth title and complete a historic three-peat in the men’s competition.
As the competition celebrated 10 years of female participation, American Caitlyn Schrepfer wowed the crowd with her acrobatic style and signature Cait-Flip, overcoming World Finals debutant Japan’s Miyoshi Miharu in the semis before beating one of the pre-tournament favourites and former world champion, Aguska Mnich, in the final to become the first female champion from the USA.
Speaking on her first-ever global title, Caitlyn said: “It is an incredible feeling and I feel so honoured. The final was such a close battle and Aguska is an incredible freestyler. Just to be on the stage with her is a great experience let alone being able to beat her. I am so proud to represent the USA on the global stage, particularly in a sport that continues to grow every year.”
Erlend said: “Right now this feels amazing, not only because I have won but because I was able to face Brynjar in the final. It was a dream come true for both of us to face each other in this amazing arena and I think we put on a great show. Today I would say that I didn’t necessarily win, but the Fagerli brothers did.”
In the battle for third place, 2021 champion Lia Lewis from the UK defeated Japan’s Miyoshi Miharu to claim the final place on the women’s podium, while in the men’s competition Colombian Boyka Ortiz beat Jeffry Chacón from Costa Rica for the second consecutive year.
The competition was judged by five of the most respected names in the freestyle football community including head judge Miran Pirner (Croatia), Fed Massignani (Italy), Tobias Becs (Norway), Michal Rycaj (Poland) and two-times World Champion championKitti Szász (Hungary).
This year saw the brand new Red Bull Street Style People’s Choice Award introduced, with fans around the world able to vote for their favourite female and male athlete from a range of clips from the Regional Finals. The first-ever Red Bull Street Style champion, Séan Garnier (France) was on hand to announce his fellow countryman Tristan Gac and Aguska as the inaugural winners of the People’s Choice Award.
The Red Bull Street Style World Finals capped off a remarkable weekend of Freestyle Football in Pula. With the organisers already looking ahead to 2023, during the event WFFA President Steve Elias announced that next year’s Freestyle Football World Championship Finals will be hosted by Kenya, marking the competition’s first return to Africa since 2010. Next year promises to be a ground-breaking year for Freestyle Football, as for the first time ever 16 female athletes will go head-to-head in the World Finals, marking a key moment of growth for the sport.
Experience all the thrills of the 2022 Red Bull Street Style World Finals again on the official WFFA YouTube channel:
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
To buy your tickets for the World Final, visit the official page of the event at Entrio!
Check the official website of the World Final on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!
The world’s best freestylers will put their creativity, technical skill and style to the test in Croatia on Saturday, October 8 with the Istrian seafront city of Pula confirmed as the host for the 2022 Red Bull Street Style World Finals. This year will mark the 10th anniversary of female participation in the pinnacle competition in Freestyle Football, with an iconic Roman amphitheatre, the Pula Arena, the setting for the contest.
First launched in 2008, Red Bull Street Style is a global competition that aims to find the best overall freestyle football players in the world. This year, a new regionalised qualifying format has meant that every continent has a guaranteed representative at the World Finals. Each national champion joined a regional battle pool, to determine the best freestylers in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
Full attention now turns to the World Finals, where the best 16 male and eight female freestylers, who progressed from the Regional Qualifying rounds, are set to compete to be crowned world champions.
Reigning male and female Red Bull Street Style champions Erlend Fagerli of Norway and Lia Lewis of the UK will be among the competitors taking part in the Finals. Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Evelyn Okafor is set to become the first African woman to step onto the stage in World Final history.
Two-time defending men’s champion Fagerli, 25, said: “Winning the Red Bull Street Style World Championships last year was one of the greatest highlights of my career. It was probably my best performance ever, but I am eager to up the levels even more and defend my title once again. I’m excited to show my new freestyle and go head-to-head with the other freestylers and see what new tricks they can bring to the competition. The setting in Pula looks amazing and I can’t wait to perform to the watching world in such an incredible location!”
Lewis, 25, commented: “I’m excited for this year’s Red Bull Street Style World Championships and looking forward to seeing how the level in Freestyle Football has evolved. I’ve enjoyed the preparation for this competition and I’m ready to go on stage once again and show something new.”
On reaching her first World Finals, Okafor added: “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to represent Nigeria and Africa on the global stage and to compete against some incredibly talented athletes from all around the world. To be a part of the amazing journey that Freestyle Football is on is really special.”
The Red Bull Street Style World Finals will be broadcast live across the World Freestyle Football Association‘s social channels, including YouTube, Twitch and Facebook.
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
To buy your tickets for the World Final, visit the official page of the event at Entrio!
Check the official website of the World Final on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!
Words by Trish Medalen for the Red Bull Media House.
Featuring the best athletes to trick their way to the top of national qualifiers around the world, five Regional Finals have determined the 16 men and eight women who will compete for the official World Championship of Freestyle Football when the Red Bull Street Style World Final comes to the magnificent Pula Arena in Croatia this October 8th. Here’s the lowdown – and the list of World Finalists!
Africa
Evelyn Okafor (Nigeria) claimed the title of African women’s champion with smooth combinations featuring impressive control across uppers, lowers and transitions. The first freestyler from her country ever to earn a place on the World Final stage, Okafor makes it all look easy.
The most intense battle in the men’s competition came when Mohannad Hosam (Egypt) and Ali Yahia(Algeria) faced off for a place in Africa’s final round. Hosan, a contender in the 2019 World Final, was determined to return to the global stage, but Yahia was equally as focused. Only a flawless performance by the Egyptian took him to the final battle, where he stamped his ticket to Croatia.
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Asia Pacific
In the most riveting men’s clash of the Asia Pacific tournament, perpetual standout Philip Warren Gertsson, aka PWG (Philippines) claimed a place in the regional final bydelivering everything in his arsenal against lightning-fast Jay Hennicke (Australia). With the region’s championship eventually going to Mohammed Akbari (Iran), the second place to PWG and the third to Hennicke, the trio have earned positions in Pula. As a result, for the first time ever there will be no men from the freestyle hotbed of Japan in the World Final.
But Japanese fans will still have a home favourite to cheer this October. The concluding Asia-Pacific rounds for women featured three female athletes from Japan, as well as a strong talent from Iran. All four delivered, but it was Miyoshi Miharu (Japan) who claimed the regional crown and will be bringing her super-stylish moves to battle the world’s best.
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Europe
The final four in the European women’s tournament included three Red Bull Street Style World Champions: reigning titleholder Lia Lewis (United Kingdom), 2018 winner Aguśka Mnich (Poland)and four-time victor Mélody Donchet (France). The climactic showdown between Mnich and Lewis was a nail-biting rematch of the deciding round in the 2021 World Final, but this time the Polish star came out on top. In the battle for bronze, young Jasmijn Janssen (Netherlands) defeated Donchet – excluding the French legend from the World Final for the first time.
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The men’s field was also packed with talent and showcased a dream final between brothers Brynjar Fagerli and Erlend Fagerli (Norway), where the judges used words like ‘mind-blowing,’ and ‘next level’ in describing the action. While Erlend is the only three-time men’s world champion in the history of Red Bull Street Style, in this faceoff Brynjar’s high-risk moves gave him the edge. They’ll both represent Europe in Croatia, along with third-place Jesse Marlet (Netherlands), who was runner-up at the 2021 World Final,and three other outstanding regional performers – Tristan Gac (France), Máté Hajagós (Hungary) and Anto Sanz (Spain).
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North America
The North American men’s final was a thriller, with two freestylers known for their strength and ability: Pat Shaw (USA) versus Jeff ‘Pagu’ Chacón (Costa Rica). Each served up monster combos, and while Shaw took the victory, both earned a spot in the World Final, along with fellow North American Anthony Noguez (México).
Among the women, the experience, unique style and fresh tricks of Caitlyn Schrepfer (USA) won the hearts and minds of the judges, and the Californian says she’s got even more to give in Pula. Schrepfer was the third-place finisher at the World Final in 2021 – this year, could she be the spoiler who goes all the way?
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South America
In South America, gripping battles and strong emotions showed just how much it means to make it to the World Final.
The men’s final came down to Boyka Ortiz (Colombia) against Moisés Carruyo (Chile). A freestyle icon,Ortiz has previously podiumed in the Red Bull Street Style World Championship, but young Carruyo holds high potential, having dethroned the best freestyler in Chilean history for his national title. Neither held back, and when Carruyo was announced the South American winner, he was overwhelmed. Carruyo and Ortiz both advance to the World Final, along with Nicolás Gondra (Argentina).
Back in 2012, Laura Biondo(Venezuela) and Cata Vega(Chile) were part of the very first women’s lineup on the World Final stage, and they’ve been instrumental in growing the sport. So it was inspirational to see them a decade later, at their peak, going head to head in South America’s final. While Biondo squeaked out the win, both move forward to Pula. Blinking back happy tears, Biondo said, “Going to the Red Bull Street Style World Final after being there since the beginning 10 years ago… it means a lot. See you in Croatia!”
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World Final lineup 2022
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Men
Mohammed Akbari, Iran
Moisés Carruyo, Chile
Jeff ‘Pagu’ Chacón, Costa Rica
Brynjar Fagerli, Norway
Erlend Fagerli, Norway
Tristan Gac, France
Philip ‘PWG’ Warren Gertsson, Philippines
Nicolás Gondra, Argentina
Máté Hajagós, Hungary
Jay Hennicke, Australia
Mohannad Hosam, Egypt
Jesse Marlet, Netherlands
Anthony Noguez, México
Boyka Ortiz, Colombia
Anto Sanz, Spain
Patrick Shaw, USA
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Women
Laura Biondo, Venezuela
Jasmijn Janssen, Netherlands
Lia Lewis, UK
Miyoshi Miharu, Japan
Aguśka Mnich, Poland
Evelyn Okafor, Nigeria
Caitlyn Schrepfer, USA
Cata Vega, Chile
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
The World Freestyle Football Association has announced a joint venture partnership with sports audio experts Voiceworks Sport, that will see the two organisations work together on the global governing body’s official podcast and audio strategy.
The partnership will launch with an initial podcast recorded at the Super Ball World Open, the WFFA’s flagship tournament. The All You Need Is A Ball content series will bring the latest news and stories from the event, giving Freestyle Football fans full access to the biggest names in the sport, telling the story of their route into the game and revealing the personalities behind “the fastest-growing sport you’ve never heard of.”
The wider series of the podcast will follow the Freestyle Football calendar, providing updates from major events and takes from big-name freestylers from around the world on the latest news, views and their own personal journeys.
Sophie Hind, Managing Director of Voiceworks Sport, said: “Sound and excitement feature in Freestyle Football in abundance. It’s a thrilling sport, and tailor-made for audio. We know that WFFA’s long-term ambition is to rub shoulders with other urban sports like 3×3 basketball, BMX freestyle and skateboarding at much-loved marquee events. Realising the scale of the audio opportunity, they came to us to develop their audio strategy. We jumped at the chance to work with them.
“We’re looking forward to working with the WFFA team for years to come. The partnership marks another exciting milestone in Voiceworks Sport’s own journey, as we work with some of the most innovative organisations, brands and governing bodies across sport.”
Dan Wood, Head of Partnerships at the WFFA, said: “Freestyle Football is a content-heavy, digitally-savvy sport where storytelling is rife. From the amazing athletes and their journeys, through to incredible destinations, unlocking cultures from all corners of the world and the building of a brand-new sport from scratch, there is a lot to talk about.”
“Partnering up with premium expertise of Voiceworks Sport and launching our own podcast was a logical next step in our growth. We are really excited to share our amazing community and journey with the world!”.
The All You Need Is A Ball podcast will be available on all podcast platforms, including, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, on August 16th.
Stay tuned to the official channels of the WFFA to follow the latest updates!
To buy your tickets for the World Final, visit the official page of the event at GameDay!
Check the official website of the World Final on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!
The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today all the groups of the Battle Pools that will integrate the Red Bull Street Style Regional Qualifiers of 2022. This stage of the tournament will run from July 11th to August 8th; participating freestylers will battle their peers in thrilling contests that will decide which athletes represent their countries and their regions in the Regional Finals that will take place in late August.
As usual in Red Bull Street Style, an elite team of judges will evaluate the battles and pick a winner according to the Rules of the Tournament. All participant freestylers are advised to check the WFFA App on a regular basis to make sure no deadline is missed. .
Female Battle Pools
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ASIA-PACIFIC
In Asia-Pacific, the winners of each group will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
🇯🇵 Sakurai Moeka
🇮🇷 Maryam Nikbakht
🇮🇷 Nasim Saheri
🇯🇵 Yuumi Tateishi
🇮🇷 Hosna Mirhadi
🇯🇵 Hana Nakama
🇮🇳 Estela Ribeiro
🇯🇵 Mai Yasutake
🇮🇷 Sajede Zare
🇮🇷 Zahra Nadimy
🇮🇳 Tanisha Gupta
🇯🇵 Kana Kubota
🇮🇳 Hadiya Hakeem
🇮🇷 Farimah Mahbobi
🇮🇷 Mobina Asadi
🇮🇷 Mobina Mollaee
🇯🇵 Miyoshi Miharu
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EUROPE
In Europe, the winners of each group plus the two best runner-ups will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
🇫🇷 Melody Donchet
🇵🇱 Aguska Mnich
🇮🇹 Anastasia Bagaglini
🇳🇱 Jasmijn Janssen
🇫🇷 Lucie Quinton
🇭🇺 Emese Tóth
🇧🇾 Olga Miroliubova
🇫🇷 Alice Fougeray
🇩🇪 Serafina Knapp
🇭🇺 Rebeka Vertes
🇵🇱 Dominika Turkowska
🇧🇪 Juliette Dron
🇪🇸 Paloma P. Mayo
🇸🇪 Linda Forsby
🇧🇦 Jelena Cazic
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NORTH AMERICA
In North America, the winners and runner-ups of each group will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
🇺🇸 Caitlyn Schrepfer
🇵🇦 Diana Rojer
🇲🇽 Fernanda Méndez Cabrera
🇨🇦 Mathilde Fortier
🇨🇷 Ana Torres
🇺🇸 Kaelen Hernandez
🇲🇽 Yahaira Zapata
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SOUTH AMERICA
In South America, the winners of each group will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
🇨🇱 Cata Vega
🇻🇪 Laura Biondo
🇨🇴 Angie ‘Azumi’ Cepeda
🇨🇴 Luisa Agudelo
🇻🇪 Zurisaday Sandoval
🇨🇱 Tamara Amigo
🇨🇱 Vania Riveros
🇦🇷 Soledad Arena
🇨🇴 Juliana Jaramillo
🇨🇴 Maria Alejandra
🇵🇪 Mishell Loli
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Male Battle Pools
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AFRICA
In Africa, the winners of each group will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
🇪🇬 Mohannad Hosam
🇬🇭 Joel Asare
🇿🇦 Sipho Freddy Busakwe
🇩🇿 Ali Yahia Ouahmed
🇸🇩 Elmigdad Gami
🇲🇿 Michaell Gray
🇲🇬 Andriamampianina Princy Serge
🇱🇾 Faraj Rahil
🇰🇪 Suleiman Fadhili
🇨🇲 Ousmanou Ahmadou
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ASIA-PACIFIC
In Asia-Pacific, the winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
🇵🇭 Philip Warren Gertsson
🇯🇵 Ibuki Yoshida
🇮🇷 Mohammed Akbari
🇦🇺 Jay Hennicke
🇻🇳 Vu Ngoc Nam
🇰🇷 HyunYong Lee
🇵🇸 Yousef Hawwari
🇰🇿 Nurseid Dosmagambet
🇮🇩 Lintang Dika
🇮🇳 Puneet Dhundele
🇦🇫 Alireza Moosavi
🇨🇳 Xiao Xin
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EUROPE
In Europe, the winners of each group plus the best three runner-ups will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
🇳🇱 Jesse Marlet
🇳🇴 Brynjar Fagerli
🇫🇷 Tristan Gac
🇵🇱 Daniel Mikołajek
🇭🇷 Tado Grgic
🇵🇹 Pablo Assis
🇸🇪 Jojje Lindgård
🇨🇭 Simon Müller
🇪🇸 Antonio Sanz
🇭🇺 Máté Hajagos
🇬🇧 Max Lawson
🇱🇺 Mohamed Mazghi
🇧🇪 William Cochart
🇮🇹 Gunther Celli
🇩🇪 Chris Bennet Bröker
🇨🇿 Daniel Pražák
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NORTH AMERICA
In North America, the top 4 freestylers of the group will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
🇨🇷 Jeff ‘Pagu’ Chacón
🇬🇹 Cess Gabriel
🇲🇽 Anthony Noguez
🇺🇸 Patrick Shaw
🇨🇺 Lázaro Luis Rivera
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SOUTH AMERICA
In South America, the winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the Regional Finals
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Group 1
Group 2
🇨🇴 Boyka Ortiz
🇦🇷 Nicolás Gondra
🇧🇴 Jose Caballero Menacho
🇨🇱 Moises Carruyo
🇻🇪 Rixio Velázquez
🇪🇨 Iker Freire
🇵🇾 Ovidio Ferreira
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Videos and Results
You can find every clip of the battles of the Regional Qualifiers, as well as all results of every single group, in the table below:
For any questions or requests related to judging, please send an email to judging@thewffa.org. In case of encountering issues or mishaps related to the WFFA App, please notify it immediately to the app IT team at support@topya.com.
Check all results of the tournament on its official Tournify page: click on the logo for more details!
Not even the most adverse of weather conditions can defeat the energy and positivity of Freestyle Football athletes: this is probably the main learning of the first-ever WFFA US Open, a brand-new competition that took place on the weekend of July 2nd and 3rd at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida during the Daytona Soccer Fest.
The WFFA US Open was originally split into two days and two stages, but rain and thunderstorm forced the organisers to distribute it across three different locations. The first day, Saturday, July 2nd, featured the qualifying rounds, with judges Laura Biondo and Charly Iacono, led by head judge Andrew Henderson, deciding the battle order for the knockout stage. Host Daniel Dennehy, an unmissable voice in the Freestyle Football community, presented the competition.
However, when the crowd was starting to gather in numbers, attracted by the prospect of an exciting 1×1 battle competition at the Fan Zone of the Daytona circuit, a thunderstorm alarm left no other choice for the WFFA but to postpone the thrills until the next morning.
On Sunday, July 3rd, the day started brightly, with amazing battles in the Top 32 and Top 16 rounds. Great stars of the sport, such as former World Champion Ricardinho and Colombian legend Boyka, offered amazing quality displays. However, extreme weather conditions struck again right when the Finals were about to start: the competition had to be delayed and moved to a new location, under the protection of the stands of the world-renowned Daytona circuit.
After the pause, though, the quality of the participants shone again at extraordinary levels. The men’s final featured a top-class intercontinental clash of styles and personalities, with Filipino master Philip Warren Gertsson, a.k.a. PWG, beating Costa Rican icon Jeffry Chacón a.k.a. Pagu in an extraordinary showdown. The same can be said of the women’s bracket, where local hero Caitlyn Schrepfer beat French starlet Yoanna Dallier in a fantastic battle.
Once the first WFFA US Open champions were crowned, an extra competition took place: a raffle to decide who would get the bonus prize of the tournament, no less than a trip to Super Ball 2022. Joshua Lockhard, from the US, was lucky enough to take home the award and will represent the land of stars and stripes in the world’s greatest open in Prague next August.
Re-watch the WFFA US Open Finals (including a special show featuring a Q&A with Andrew, Charly and Laura) on the YouTube channel of the WFFA:
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
In order to adapt the competition to the remarkable amount of female freestylers who signed up for it, the World Freestyle Football Association has announced today an update that will affect the timelines and structure of the Red Bull Street Style 2022 women’s tournament.
To participate in the competition, female athletes will need to enter the WFFA App, register, look up the Women’s Tournament in the Search Bar and select it, and lastly, type the number 145350 in the Invite Code section. Once this is done, they will be able to upload their 60-second video for the first selection round. The best clips will be picked by a team of judges and their authors will earn themselves a spot in the next round of the tournament, the Battle Pools of the Regional Qualifiers.
With the objective of giving female freestylers more time to prepare their clips for the aforementioned first selection round, the timeline to upload videos to the WFFA App has been extended to July 8th. Here’s an updated chart with the full timeline:
Once all videos have been selected, the athletes that have made it to the Regional Qualifiers will be able to compete in the next stage through the App. This new stage will consist of a series of Battle Pools, in which the participants will face other female freestylers from their region.
The Battle Pools will decide which 7 female freestylers from Europe (plus the current defending champion, Lia Lewis from the UK), 4 from Asia-Pacific, 4 from North America, 4 from South America and 4 from Africa make it to the Regional Finals, a very special tournament that will happen on the WFFA channels in the shape of a live stream. Athletes will compete live against their peers from their region in a show that will air on YouTube, Twitch and Facebook. Before the event, the finalists will receive a full package from the WFFA and Red Bull so they can prepare correspondingly.
In the last and most exciting stage of the tournament, the World Final, the very best female freestylers in the world (1 from Asia-Pacific, 1 from North America, 2 from South America, 1 from Africa and 3 from Europe) will battle it out for the title of World Champion. Will Lia Lewis retain the title? Or will the women’s tournament have a new champion?
The Official Rules of Red Bull Street Style are available on the Rules and Regulations page of the WFFA official website, together with all details about the format. Visit the official Event Page and the Event Announcement as well for more details!
For submission details, deadline information and news updates on the Red Bull Street Style World Championship, visit www.redbullstreetstyle.com.
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If you have an Android phone, click here to download the WFFA App from Google Play
If you have an Apple phone, click here to download the WFFA App from the Apple Store
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
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