As influencers and celebrities look to break into the world of professional football, new leagues are cropping up around the world, meant to reimagine the sport for a younger and more sensational audience.
It began with Gerard Pique’s Kings League in Spain, which exploded with popularity in its early life, leading to others looking to further the movement.
Then came Baller League in Germany, which has built a strong and passionate following as it contests its third season. With its rapid growth, the league has expanded to the UK, where social media celebrities and former professionals have signed on to play, coach, or promote the new competition.
The Sporting News brings you all the basics of this new league, which has taken Europe by storm and continues to expand, gaining followers along the way.
MORE: All the latest EPL club news | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings | Champions League top goal scorers
What is the Baller League?
The influencer-led Baller League is a six-a-side indoor competition that pits former Premier League players, futsal professionals, and celebrities from all over against one another.
Baller League began in Germany, set up by entrepreneur Felix Starck in conjunction with professional footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski.
In the UK league, which is helmed by influencer KSI, each of the 12 teams will have a 12-player squad, playing games with halves that are 15 minutes long. They will play regular six-a-side rules, with one twist: in the final three minutes of each half, things get weird. The match switches to three-a-side, with goalkeepers not allowed to use their hands, and long-range goals counting double.
The fixture schedule will begin on March 24, with matches played weekly for 11 consecutive weeks. From there, the top four teams in the standings will take part in a four-team playoff to determine the league winner.
The league has been exploding in popularity, resulting in securing a TV deal with Sky Sports for the UK competition’s first season. There is also a USA edition set to debut soon, helmed by IShowSpeed and involving several other celebrities, influencers, and former professional players.
Baller League UK teams, notable players, draft results
For its inaugural season in 2025, 12 teams will participate in Baller League UK.
The rosters were filled out in a draft on March 10, with over 160 players available for selection. The first overall pick saw Portuguese forward Bruno Andrade selected by Sharky’s SDS FC. Other notable first round picks included former Premier League forward Bakary Sako and recently retired Championship star Henri Lansbury.
| Team Name | Manager(s) | Notable Players |
| 26ers | John Terry | J’ardell Sterling |
| Deportrio | Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Gary Lineker | Bakary Sako |
| FC Rules the World | Clint 419 | Michael Duemi, Josh Harrop |
| M7 FC | Miniminter | Jesse Waller-Lassen |
| MVPs United | Alisha Lehmann, Maya Jama | Lorenzo Spinelli |
| N5 FC | Jens Lehmann, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg | Owen Locke, Adrian Mariappa |
| Santan FC | Dave | Michael Hill |
| SDS FC | Sharky | Bruno Andrade |
| Trebol FC | Luis Figo | Gary McKenzie |
| VZN FC | Tobi Brown | Henri Lansbury, Jerome Sinclair |
| Wembley Rangers | Ian Wright, Chloe Kelly | Dom Pires |
| Yanited | Angry Ginge | Kadell Daniel, Michael Hector |
How to watch Baller League UK
The 2025 season of Baller League will be televised by Sky Sports, with matches every Monday evening held at Copper Box Arena in London.
Sky Sports will broadcast every single match of the inaugural season on one of their linear channels. The hosts for the weekly presentation will be Chunkz and Olivia Buzalgo.
