The World Freestyle Football Association, together with Italian football giants Juventus FC, has announced this week the launch of These Strange Things We Do, a new, high-end documentary about Freestyle Football starring some of its greatest global talents.
The film, created by the prestigious Juventus Creator Lab, features four elite freestylers who participated in the 2024 edition of the World Freestyle Football Championship in Turin: Yoanna Dallier from France, Zulhilmi ‘Zhilmi’ Zuaswa from Malaysia, Caitlyn Schrepfer from the USA and Sebastián ‘Machine’ Peña from Colombia. The documentary explores their stories as they battle for the title of World Champion in the most competitive stage of the global Freestyle Football circuit.
“We are absolutely delighted with the amazing documentary the Juventus Creator Lab have created”, said Dan Wood, Head of Partnerships at the WFFA. “The piece truly embodies the spirit of Freestyle Football and presents the personalities of its four extraordinary protagonists in a new light, exploring not just their journey in sports, but also in life. We believe this is a fantastic benchmark for future content about our sport!”.
These Strange Things We Do premiered on DAZN Italy and is now available on the official YouTube channel of Juventus.
About Juventus Football Club
Founded in 1897, Juventus is one of the most popular and awarded football clubs in the world. All the club’s records have been achieved under the ownership of the Agnelli’s family who have managed it for 100 years.
Juventus can count on an undisputed global reach with 561 million fans worldwide including more than 100 million fans in Europe. With more than 176.5 million followers on various digital channels, it is the most-followed Italian brand.
Among the players that wore or that are currently wearing the iconic black and white striped jersey there are some of the greatest players of football history, like the Italians Boniperti, Del Piero, Pirlo, Buffon, Chiellini and Locatelli, and international stars like Platini, Baggio, Zidane, Nedved, Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Danilo, Vlahovic and Yildiz.
The club’s mission is to be a sport entertainment company committed to achieving success on the pitch and enriching people’s lives by providing them with community, connection and emotional experiences.
For more information about Juventus, follow them on their channels:
The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the final details of the event that culminates the competitive season: the World Freestyle Football Championship, which this year will take place in the fascinating city of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The 2023 World Championship, organised together with the prestigious Kenyan agency Homeboyz, will be held at the Bomas of Kenya on Saturday, November 25th. The event will be broadcast live on the official YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels of the WFFA starting at 15h EAT / 13h CET / 7am ET.
The event week will include not just the highly anticipated World Finals, but also a series of legacy activities in Nairobi. These initiatives are aimed at giving back to the local community and spreading the word about the benefits of Freestyle Football for kids and teenagers.
The World Freestyle Football Championship will bring together the best 32 freestylers on the planet, coming from all regions of the world through the six qualifying events of the WFFA Pulse Series:
Online Pulse Mombasa for Africa
Pulse Riga for Europe
Pulse New York City for North America
Pulse Córdoba for South America
Pulse Hiroshima for Asia-Pacific
Pulse Online for the rest of the world
The list of participating athletes includes the two current World Champions, Caitlyn Schrepfer from the USA and Erlend Fagerli from Norway, as well as a collection of first-class talents from all continents:
Angelique Ferreira (South Africa) and Ali Yahia Ouahmed (Algeria), representing Africa
Melody Donchet (France), Aguska Mnich (Poland), Yoanna Dallier (France), Jasmijn Janssen (Netherlands) and Anastasia Bagaglini (Italy), as well as Tristan Gac (France), Jesse Marlet (Netherlands), Joan Sitjar (Spain), Tim Hoekman (Netherlands) and Nicolas ‘Nicox’ Rivière (France), representing Europe
Mathilde Fortier (Canada) and Yahaira Zapata (Mexico), as well as Patrick ‘Patshaw’ Shaw (USA) and Fahed Albreiki (USA), representing North America
Laura Biondo (Venezuela), Diana ‘Karol’ Rojer (Panamá) and Marisa Cintra (Brazil), as well as Sebastián ‘Machine’ Peña (Colombia), Sebastián ‘Boyka’ Ortiz (Colombia) and Julián ‘KMP’ Sosa (Colombia), representing South America
Moeka ‘Moe-K’ Sakurai (Japan), Mai Yasutake (Japan) and Miharu Miyoshi (Japan), as well as Jay Hennicke (Australia), Hiroyuki ‘Hiro-K’ Kaneko (Japan), Philip ‘PWG’ Warren Gertsson (Philippines) and Akinobu ‘Aki’ Komine (Japan), representing Asia-Pacific
A team of international elite judges will evaluate the performance of the participants following the official Rules of Freestyle Football, available on the website of the Association. The list includes prestigious former freestylers and experts in the sport, namely:
Andrew Henderson, 2014 World Champion, from the UK
Kamal ‘Kamalio’ Ranchod, from South Africa
Yo Katsuyama, from Japan
Sven Fielitz, from Luxembourg
Andreas Cetkovic, from France
“This is the first World Final after the implementation of the Pulse Series qualification system, and honestly, we couldn’t be more proud of how everything has been so far,” said Steve Elias, President of the WFFA. “Our partnership with a top-notch agency such as the Homeboyz ensures that the event will be nothing short of sensational. We really can’t wait to meet the athletes in Kenya and kickstart the competition!”.
“It’s an honour for me to be able to defend my World Championship in such a captivating location as Nairobi” declared Caitlyn Schrepfer, current female World Champion. “I’ve been working hard this year to be at my best in Kenya and can’t wait to face the best female freestylers in the world there. No doubt it will be a fantastic experience!”.
“We are honoured to host these international tournaments in Kenya”, added Myke Rabar, President of the Kenyan Freestyle Football Federation. “It highlights our commitment to promoting Freestyle Football, and in the meantime, it provides a platform to showcase our beautiful country and boost tourism”
For more information about the World Freestyle Football Championship, follow the official channels of the WFFA or visit the corresponding Event Page.
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
Check the official website of the tournament on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!
WFFA Pulse New York City 2023, the first-ever Freestyle Football Pulse Event to take place in North America, happened on August 26th at the extraordinary American Dream entertainment centre in East Rutherford, NJ – just minutes away from the Big Apple. The tournament featured an intense 1×1 battle format, where the region’s best freestylers competed to determine the champions of the male and female categories. The local crowd roared with excitement as athletes from eight different countries across the Americas showcased their unique styles and cultures, both on and off the ball.
In the end, two local heroes emerged victorious and secured their spots in this year’s highly anticipated World Freestyle Football Championship Finals in Nairobi, Kenya: Patrick Shaw and Caitlyn Schrepfer, both of US American nationality, took the victories in the male and female brackets respectively.
The excitement did not end there, as two more freestylers (a man and a woman) earned their places in the upcoming World Finals:
The adventure of the Pulse Series doesn’t stop here, though, and the competition will travel now to South America to crown the regional champions and find four more World Finalists – a total of three ladies and three gentlemen.
Experience again all the thrills of Pulse New York City 2023 thanks to the official live stream of its Finals:
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
Check the official website of the tournament on Tournify: click on the logo for more details!
Fantastic news for all fans of Freestyle Football in the United States of America – and the whole world!
This year’s edition of Baselball, a unique football tournament and festival part of the world-renowned Art Basel fair, will include an open Freestyle Football tournament!
Between December 2nd and 3rd, the Urban Indoor Futbol venue in Miami, Florida will host a 1×1 Freestyle Football battles competition that will include separate tournaments for men and women. The entry fee is $20 USD. Prizes and judges will be announced on the social channels of the event – stay tuned!
Baselball is part of Art Basel FC, an art-infused football experience. This four-day event is where art and football intersect and harness their power for positive community impact. All money raised through Art Basel FC benefits projects that help make play more easily accessible in under-resourced communities.
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!
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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).
.
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?
.
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!”
.
World Final lineup 2022
.
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
.
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!
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!
The first-ever Red Bull Street Style World Final in Valencia, Spain, and the first in two years to be on stage surrounded by spectators, made for a supercharged atmosphere. And if the fans at the Palau de la Música venue were hot to see the latest from Freestyle Football’s elite, the athletes themselves were positively on fire.
After a year of qualification rounds, the initial field of more than 700 hopefuls from all around the world had been whittled down to the elite: 16 men and 8 women serving up new tricks and new styles.
The women’s field was the toughest in Red Bull Street Style history and a fresh name skyrocketed to stardom, as the UK’s Lia Lewis captured the ultimate title by defeating 2018 World Champion Aguśka Mnich of Poland in a tense final round.
The event was just Lewis’s second World Final appearance; but even more astonishing, she only began working on freestyle tricks three years ago.
The influence of dance and acrobatic backgrounds on the style of Lewis and third-place finisher Caitlyn Schrepfer of the USA confirmed an exciting direction for the sport and Lewis won Best Trick with a bridge-to-splits manoeuvre.
Fans were shocked, however, when four-time World Champion and legend of the sport Mélody Donchet of France failed to make the podium. The French star, who tearfully accepted a long ovation on stage, hinted that it might be her last World Final.
Of course, the athletes weren’t only facing each other. The judging panel in Valencia was a mighty line-up of freestyle title-winners assembled by the WFFA: Tobias Becs of Norway; France’s Séan Garnier, who in 2008 became the first-ever Red Bull Street Style champ; Michał Rycac of Poland; home Spanish star Javi Sanz and two-time Red Bull Street Style champion Kitti Szász from Hungary.
In the male bracket, while the triumph of Norway’s Erlend Fagerli – just reaching his prime and already the greatest the sport has ever known – wasn’t unexpected, what was a surprise was how hard he had to work for it.
After cruising confidently through the first battles, in the final he squared off with Jesse Marlet from the Netherlands, who had never before made it to the concluding round. With nothing to lose, the Dutchman delivered new tricks that pushed Fagerli into some uncharacteristic baubles. But in the end, the Norwegian and his breathtaking transitions were simply on another level.
Third place went to Colombia’s Boyka Ortiz, an experienced contender and previous runner-up, but youngsters to watch earned big respect, too. French phenom Tristan Gac, not yet 20, won Best Trick honours with his upside-down sole-stall. Fellow teen Gabriel Parke, a fast-rising Brazilian sensation who is blazing a new path with imaginative twisty, rolling moves, also impressed.
Fagerli, whose always-innovative brother Brynjar competed in the World Final as well, stated, “I want to say huge respect to Jesse. He’s one of the freestylers who keep pushing all the time to make this sport develop, and I was delighted to compete against him in the final.”
Applauding the Spanish spectators, the triple World Champion added, “I love the audience. The energy has been electric all night, and it has been so good to compete here. We just love Freestyle Football!”.
See it again! Rewatch the Red Bull Street Style World Final 2021 on Red Bull TV video on demand.
Rewatch the Studio show on the WFFA official YouTube channel:
.
Words by Trish Medalen for RedBull.com; pictures by Gianfranco Tripodo for the Red Bull Content Pool.
Stay tuned to the official channels of the WFFA to follow the latest updates!
The world’s best freestyle footballers will welcome the return of fans as the Spanish city of Valencia has been confirmed as the host city for the 2021 Red Bull Street Style World Finals in November. Sixteen male and eight female freestyle footballers will entertain fans in a celebration of skill, style and diversity, with athletes from all corners of the globe taking to the stage.
The pinnacle competition for the sport will be held in front of fans again for the first time since 2019 and will take place on Saturday, November 20 in the scenic Spanish city.
Those hoping to wow fans in Valencia are reigning male and female Red Bull Street Style champions Erlend Fagerli of Norway and Melody Donchet of France, who will both be eager to defend their crowns.
Confirmation of Valencia comes as the draw for the seeding groups for the World Final – the Online Battle Pools – was held earlier this month which conjured up a number of intriguing match-ups, with 59 male and 20 female athletes vying for a place at the World Finals.
In the stand-out group of the entire draw, Donchet has been drawn in Group C alongside a mixture of rising stars and older champions such as Chile’s Catalina Vega, fellow Frenchwoman Pola Gomez, Great Britain’s Lia Lewis, and Poland’s Kalina Matysiak. Also in action are American Caitlyn Schrepfer in Group B and 2018 World Champion Aguska Mnich from Poland, both of whom will be confident of progression to the World Finals.
Group N of the men’s competition pits best friends Philip Warren Gertsson and Viktor Ludvig Olovson aka VLO against one another – the Swedish residents having known each other for over 15 years. In a men’s competition littered with talent, fans will also be able to watch Poland’s 2013 winner Szymon Skalski in Group G and 2019 finalist Sebastián Ortiz of Colombia in Group P. Elsewhere, Brazilian Gabriel Parke is considered a rising star to watch in Group A as is France’s Tristan Gac in Group L, who has entered the Freestyle Football scene with a bang.
American champion Caitlyn Schrepfer said: “I am so excited for this year’s competition. I was heartbroken last year when I made a couple of small mistakes and I thought I had a great chance. I am looking forward to the competition and hoping to give the other participants a good challenge.”
The WFFA President, Steve Elias, said: “We are thrilled to co-organise Red Bull Street Style yet another year! We believe the city of Valencia will offer an absolutely fabulous backdrop for the 2021 World Final and are really looking forward to celebrating the sport both with the athletes and the fans.”
Frenchman Séan Garnier, the first winner of Red Bull Street Style back in 2008, added: “The beauty of Freestyle Football is that you just need a ball. You don’t need equipment, a motorbike or any other kit. I cannot wait to watch Erlend Fagerli again, who is going to take some beating this year. He is the full package. He has all the skills and is a fantastic performer to go with it. He is incredible and last year he took his game to the next level. He knows how to master his body with the ball.”
For more details about this year’s edition of Red Bull Street Style, please check the corresponding Event Page on the WFFA website.
For more information about the Red Bull Street Style tournament, please visit the official website atwww.redbullstreetstyle.com.
Stay tuned to the official channels of the WFFA to follow the latest updates!
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. We use essential cookies to enable certain features. Third parties set cookies for both essential and non-essential purposes including analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) and advertising. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
English (UK) 
Español