KSI and IShowSpeed are teaming up to expand a soccer league with a team of icons who once ruled the pitch.
The Baller League announced on Monday through a press release that it will expand and usher in a "new era for football" in the United States and the United Kingdom. The league started in Germany and consisted of teams of six players competing against each other. With this expansion, KSI has been tapped as the president of the UK league, while IShowSpeed will be president of the US league.
A host of other influencers and soccer legends will be joining the league that will launch in March 2025. Former players such as Luis Figo, Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Robert Pires, John Terry, Ronaldinho, and more will be managing teams in the league. According to The Athletic, the people who will be actually playing the games are former academy players, pros, free agents, and street ballers in a league that gives "a stage for street football whilst giving talent the second chance to perform."
"Baller League is a brand new way to consume football," said Baller League CEO Felix Starck in a statement. "We're redefining how the game is played by bringing an exhilarating and authentic approach to football, and one that will appeal to current fans along with future generations."
He added, "Baller League is all about forward-thinking, aggressive, hyper-exciting football. We're about creating a version of the game that's impossible to ignore—thrilling, bold, and packed with excitement."
Trials will be held in Manchester and London, and 12 teams will compete in both leagues across 11 matches in the season. Each team will compete in a weekly league while playing in an indoor arena at least once. The champions are determined in a final-four tournament, where the top-four teams advance to the playoffs.