The world’s most important freestyle football tournament will not only go on in 2020 – it will be more inclusive than ever.
After over a decade of World Finals in front of crowds on five continents, Red Bull Street Style will take the official World Championship of freestyle football entirely online where anyone can enter by submitting a video clip. Through a series of challenges, the field will be narrowed until the best international men and women – from reigning title holders to hungry newcomers – turn it up in a live online World Final streamed globally. Entries for the global tournament open on 18 May 2020 at 12:00am CET.
Everybody from across the planet is invited to submit a video on www.redbullstreetstyle.com with a 30-second set showing their all-round skills, which will be reviewed by judges selected by the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA). Of the thousands expected to enter, only the best will advance!
“This online season of Red Bull Street Style could not have come at a better time, and it’s unique. There has never been a freestyle competition on this scale that’s online and open to everyone,” says Steve Elias, President of the WFFA.
Subsequent stages will serve up specific challenges related to musicality, trick execution, and creativity. With each, the field is whittled further, while the global exposure, including live performances, grows higher.
Finally, 16 men and 8 women will face off in Stage 5, the battle of the online World Final, streamed live worldwide in November. Among them are anticipated to be the defending World Champions.
The reigning freestyle queen Mélody Donchet of France is the only person, woman or man, to have captured three Red Bull Street Style titles. “For me, Red Bull Street Style is the best competition in the world. It’s the one I’ve participated in the most” says Donchet. “The competitive aspect is only part of the reason why. It’s also got a big media presence, which helps me share my passion for the sport. I want to help more and more people get to know this discipline of football.”
South Africa is no stranger to the prestigious tournament, having contested national Red Bull Street Style events since its inception. The growing talent of freestyle footballers in the country has over the years gone on to represent South Africa at an international level. Local Football Freestyling legend Chris Njokwana won the national finals in 2008 and went on to be part of the star-studded judging panel for the Red Bull Street Style World Finals in 2010, hosted in Cape Town.
To qualify for the Red Bull Street Style World Final in 2020, the requirements are simple: Videos must be no longer than 45 seconds overall, with the freestyle set lasting no longer than 30 seconds. They also must be in horizontal (landscape) format and without edits. No music is allowed. Everyone 16 or older is welcome to take part.
For submission details, deadline information, and all the news and updates on the Red Bull Street Style World Championship visit www.redbullstreetstyle.com