Sidemen Charity Match
2026
The world's biggest YouTube football event returns! 100+ creators, celebrity guests, and millions raised for charity at London's iconic stadium.
⚽What is the Sidemen Charity Match?
The Sidemen Charity Match is an annual charity football event organized by the Sidemen, the UK's biggest YouTube group. Since its inception in 2016, the match has grown into the largest creator-led charity sporting event in the world, featuring the biggest names from YouTube, social media, and entertainment.
The event pits two teams of content creators, celebrities, and special guests against each other in a full 90-minute football match at a professional stadium. All proceeds go to various charitable causes, with the event raising over £25 million across all editions.
"The Sidemen Charity Match has become bigger than football. It's a cultural moment where the internet comes together for good." - KSI
The 2026 edition promises to be the biggest yet, with rumors of 100+ participants, international superstars, and the largest charitable donation in the event's history. The match will be live-streamed to millions across multiple platforms and attended by tens of thousands of fans.
📜Complete History of Sidemen Charity Matches
The Beginning • Charlton Athletic FC
Date: May 21, 2016
Venue: The Valley (Charlton, London)
Attendance: 15,000+
Result: Sidemen 3-2 YouTube All-Stars
Raised: £110,000+ for various charities
Notable Moment: The first-ever YouTube charity football match. Featured only UK creators, mostly friends of the Sidemen. Proved the concept could work at scale.
Going Global • Southampton FC
Date: May 27, 2017
Venue: St Mary's Stadium (Southampton)
Attendance: 20,000+
Result: YouTube All-Stars 2-0 Sidemen
Raised: £210,000+
Notable Moment: International creators join for the first time. Calfreezy scored both goals in the All-Stars victory. Production quality significantly improved.
The Stadium Era • Charlton FC
Date: June 2, 2018
Venue: The Valley (Charlton, London)
Attendance: 27,000 (Sold Out)
Result: Sidemen 7-1 YouTube All-Stars
Raised: £1.3M+ (10x increase!)
Notable Moment: KSI scored a hat-trick. The Sidemen's most dominant performance. First match to raise over £1 million, setting a new standard for creator charity events.
Celebrity Edition • Charlton FC
Date: June 15, 2019
Venue: The Valley (Charlton, London)
Attendance: 27,000 (Sold Out)
Result: YouTube All-Stars 3-0 Sidemen
Raised: £1.7M+
Notable Moment: Love Island stars, rappers, and mainstream celebrities join. Mo Syed (Yung Filly's manager) scores incredible goals. KSI plays goalkeeper entire match.
COVID-19 Hiatus
No matches held due to pandemic restrictions. The Sidemen continued charity efforts through online fundraising streams and donations, but the annual football match tradition was paused.
Impact: The two-year gap built massive anticipation for the return of the event in 2022.
The Return • London Stadium
Date: September 24, 2022
Venue: London Stadium (Olympic Stadium)
Attendance: 60,000+ (Sold Out)
Result: YouTube All-Stars 8-7 Sidemen (After Penalties)
Raised: £1M+ (confirmed, likely much higher)
Notable Moment: MASSIVE upgrade to London's Olympic Stadium. MrBeast makes UK debut. Chunkz scores iconic penalty. Most entertaining match yet with 15 combined goals. Featured Speed, Filly, Chunks, Castro, and more.
Record Breaking • London Stadium
Date: September 9, 2023
Venue: London Stadium
Attendance: 65,000+ (Sold Out)
Result: Sidemen 8-5 YouTube All-Stars
Raised: £2.4M+ (Record)
Notable Moment: Sidemen get revenge with dominant performance. IShowSpeed's chaotic energy steals the show. Tobi Brown (TBJZL) scores hat-trick. Logan Paul makes appearance. Highest fundraising total ever.
The Spectacle • London Stadium
Date: September 14, 2024
Venue: London Stadium
Attendance: 65,000+ (Sold Out in hours)
Result: YouTube All-Stars 10-9 Sidemen (Overtime)
Raised: £2.5M+
Notable Moment: The highest-scoring match ever with 19 combined goals. DanTDM surprise appearance. Kai Cenat's US team performs well. Incredible overtime drama. Featured Beta Squad, Angry Ginge, and international stars.
🔥 The Biggest Event Yet • London Stadium
Date: September 2026 (TBA)
Venue: London Stadium (Expected)
Expected Attendance: 65,000+ (Instant Sellout)
Fundraising Goal: £5M+
What to Expect: 100+ participants rumored. Biggest international creator lineup ever. Potential professional footballer cameos. Multi-platform streaming deal. Rumored post-match concert. This could be the largest creator event in history.
👥Expected Players & Creators (2026)
While official rosters haven't been announced, these creators are expected or likely to participate based on past involvement, current relationships with the Sidemen, and recent hints:
🔴 Sidemen FC (Team Red)
The Core 7 Sidemen
Sidemen Allies & Friends
- •Calfreezy - OG Sidemen ally, past captain
- •Callux - Long-time friend
- •Chunks (AJ Shabeel) - Beta Squad member
- •Sharky - Beta Squad
- •Niko Omilana - Beta Squad leader
- •King Kenny - Beta Squad
- •Darkest Man - Beta Squad
- •Theo Baker - UK creator
- •Angry Ginge - Popular UK streamer
- •Danny Aarons - Football YouTuber
- •Yung Filly - Comedian/Musician
🔵 YouTube All-Stars (Team Blue)
Mega Creators (Likely)
- •MrBeast - World's biggest YouTuber (700M+ subs)
- •IShowSpeed - High-energy streamer, football fan
- •Logan Paul - WWE star, Prime co-founder with KSI
- •Kai Cenat - Twitch megastar
- •Chunkz - UK musician/comedian, crowd favorite
- •Castro_1021 - FIFA YouTuber, past participant
- •Deji - KSI's brother, regular participant
International Stars
- •Willne - UK commentary YouTuber
- •JiDion - US prankster
- •AMP Crew - US content group (Fanum, Davis, etc.)
- •True Geordie - UK podcast host
- •Manny - US YouTuber
- •Dillon Danis - MMA fighter/creator
- •Fousey - US creator/boxer
- •Adin Ross - Controversial Kick streamer
Potential Surprises
- •DanTDM - Gaming legend (made surprise 2024 appearance)
- •Jacksepticeye - Irish gaming icon
- •Markiplier - US gaming superstar
- •xQc - Top Twitch streamer
- •Pokimane - Leading female creator
- •Valkyrae - YouTube Gaming star
🎯 Special Guests & Cameos
Past matches have featured professional footballers, musicians, and celebrities. 2026 could bring:
- • Sergio Agüero (Manchester City legend)
- • Jermaine Jenas (Former England player)
- • Robert Pires (Arsenal legend)
- • Theo Walcott (Ex-Arsenal/England)
- • Miniminter's Dad (Fan favorite goalkeeper)
- • Musician performances at halftime
- • Celebrity referees or commentators
- • Surprise international football legends
✨What Makes the Sidemen Charity Match Special
Global Internet Culture United
It's the one event where YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram's biggest stars come together. US creators meet UK legends, rivalries are settled, and friendships are formed. It's a celebration of internet culture.
Massive Charitable Impact
Over £25M raised to date for causes including Young Minds, Teenage Cancer Trust, CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), M7 Education, and numerous other charities supporting mental health, education, and youth programs.
Production Quality
Professional broadcast production rivaling actual Premier League coverage. Multiple camera angles, expert commentary, drone footage, celebrity presenters, and entertainment beyond just football.
Entertainment Value
It's not just football—it's chaos, comedy, incredible goals, terrible misses, dramatic penalties, and genuine passion. IShowSpeed's antics, Chunkz's celebrations, and unexpected moments create viral content.
Accessible to Fans
Free to watch on YouTube with millions of live viewers. In-person tickets are affordable (£20-50) compared to traditional sports. The Sidemen make it accessible while still raising massive funds.
Legitimate Competition
While entertaining, the matches are genuinely competitive. Players train, bragging rights matter, and the football can be surprisingly good. The rivalry between teams is real and adds stakes.
📊Event Impact & All-Time Statistics
Charitable Impact
Main Beneficiaries
- • Young Minds (Mental Health)
- • Teenage Cancer Trust
- • CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
- • M7 Education
- • Rays of Sunshine
- • Comic Relief
- • Local UK charities
Viewership & Reach
Social Media Reach
- • #SidemenCharityMatch trends worldwide
- • 500M+ combined social impressions
- • Featured on mainstream news (BBC, Sky)
- • Clips go viral on TikTok, Twitter/X, Instagram
- • International media coverage
- • Multi-platform streaming (YouTube, Twitch)
All-Time Match Records
📺How to Watch & Get Tickets
🎟️ In-Person Tickets
Tickets for the 2026 Sidemen Charity Match will be announced via the @Sidemen Twitter account and their YouTube community posts.
Expected Ticket Info:
- • Venue: London Stadium (60,000+ capacity)
- • Price Range: £20-£100
- • On Sale: Summer 2026 (TBA)
- • Sell Out Time: Minutes to hours (based on 2024)
- • Where to Buy: Official Sidemen website/partners only
⚠️ Beware of Scams: Only buy from official channels. Tickets will be announced on verified Sidemen accounts. No pre-sales or "secret" ticket links.
📱 Watch Online (Free!)
The match will be FREE to watch live on YouTube and potentially other streaming platforms:
Streaming Channels:
- • Main Stream: Sidemen YouTube Channel
- • Alternative Views: Individual Sidemen channels
- • Watch Parties: Creator co-streams on Twitch/Kick
- • International: Potential regional streaming deals
- • Replays: Full match available after event
What to Expect:
- • Professional multi-camera production
- • Celebrity commentators
- • Pre-match show with interviews
- • Halftime entertainment
- • Post-match celebrations and reactions
- • Behind-the-scenes content
💭Why the Sidemen Charity Match Matters
Beyond the entertainment value, the Sidemen Charity Match represents something significant about modern creator culture and philanthropy:
Redefining Celebrity Philanthropy
Traditional celebrity charity events are often exclusive galas. The Sidemen made theirs accessible, free to watch online, and genuinely entertaining. They've shown that new media creators can mobilize their communities for massive charitable impact without corporate partnerships or traditional fundraising models.
Bridging Online & Offline Communities
The match brings internet culture into the physical world at scale. 65,000 people gathered to celebrate their favorite creators, proving that online communities can translate to real-world impact. It's a testament to the genuine connection between creators and fans.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Young people see their heroes—not actors or athletes, but YouTubers—using their platforms for good. It normalizes charitable giving and shows that success comes with responsibility. The Sidemen have inspired countless other creators to host their own charity events.
Proving Creator Economy Power
The match demonstrates the economic and cultural power of the creator economy. Seven YouTubers can sell out a 65,000-seat stadium, attract global brands, and generate more buzz than many professional sporting events. It's validation of new media's influence.
The Sidemen Charity Match isn't just a football game—it's a annual celebration of what the internet can achieve when creators use their influence responsibly. It's proof that entertainment and philanthropy don't have to be separate, and that the next generation of celebrities are rewriting the rules of what it means to give back.
🔗Related Coverage
Sidemen Charity Match 2026 • September 2026 (TBA) • London Stadium
Organized by The Sidemen • All proceeds to charity • Follow @Sidemen for official announcements