Baller League UK – Season 1
| Season | 1 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 24 March 2025 – 12 June 2025 |
| Champions | SDS FC |
| Matches played | 69 |
| Top goalscorer | Bryan Ly (N5 FC) 21 goals[1] |
| Highest scoring | 26ers 8–9 Trebol FC (2 June 2025)[2] |
Baller League UK – Season 2 → | |
Baller League UK – Season 1 is the first season of the UK version of the Baller League, an indoor six-a-side football competition that originated in Germany in 2024, created by entrepreneur Felix Starck, with backing from professional footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski. Following the German edition's success, major expansions were announced in November 2024, with the UK edition launched in March 2025. SDS FC defeated MVPs United 4–3 in the final, which was held at The O2 Arena, London, to become the first ever Baller League UK champion.
Summary
Before the season started, each manager choose players on draft day on 10 March 2025.[3] The regular season started on 24 March 2025 with each match held at London's Copper Box Arena.[4] The final four matches were played on 14 June 2025 at The O2 Arena, London with SDS FC as the winner of the season 1 after defeating MVPs United in the final by 4–3, with Deportrio and Yanited each becoming the semi-finalists.[5]
Broadcasting and hosts
Sky Sports and NOW TV have secured a one-year broadcast partnership for the UK edition, ensuring live coverage of all matches, with every games shown on Sky Sports Mix.[6][7] International viewers can also watch via the Baller League's YouTube and Twitch channels every matchday.[7] Every match was hosted by YouTuber Chunkz and Olivia Buzaglo.[6]
Guests
In matchday two on 31 March 2025, Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso, appeared as a pitchside co-commentator.[8] On 12 June 2025, at the final four matchday, Will Smith appeared to introduce the teams ahead of the Legends vs Creators match.[5]
Teams and managers
The league includes 12 teams, each managed by a notable figure from sports, entertainment, and social media. The teams and managers for the first season are as follows:[4]
| Team | Manager(s) |
|---|---|
| 26ers | John Terry |
| Deportrio | Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, and Micah Richards |
| FC Rules the World | Clint 419 |
| M7 FC | Miniminter |
| MVPs United | Alisha Lehmann and Maya Jama |
| N5 FC | Jens Lehmann, Robert Pirès, and Freddie Ljungberg |
| Santan FC | Dave |
| SDS FC | Sharky |
| Trebol FC | Luís Figo |
| VZN FC | TBJZL |
| Wembley Rangers AFC | Ian Wright and Chloe Kelly |
| Yanited | Angryginge |
Notable players
The league features a mix of former professionals and emerging talents. Notable players include:[4][8][9][10]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportrio | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 42 | −5 | Advance to Final Four |
| 2 | MVPs United | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 44 | −4 | |
| 3 | Yanited | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 34 | 51 | −17 | |
| 4 | SDS FC | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 37 | 49 | −12 | |
| 5 | Trebol FC | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 44 | 53 | −9 | |
| 6 | Santan FC | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 43 | −2 | |
| 7 | VZN FC | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 50 | 42 | +8 | |
| 8 | M7 FC | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 42 | 41 | +1 | |
| 9 | 26ers | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 53 | 53 | 0 | |
| 10 | Wembley Rangers AFC | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 44 | 38 | +6 | |
| 11 | FC Rules the World | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 50 | 35 | +15 | |
| 12 | N5 FC | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 56 | 37 | +19 |
Results
| 26S | DPT | RTW | M7F | MVP | N5F | SFC | SDS | TFC | VZN | WRS | YTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26ers | 5:7 | 3:3 | 5:5 | 4:1 | 6:5 | 4:5 | 2:5 | 8:9 | 8:3 | 3:3 | 5:7 | |
| Deportrio | 7:5 | 3:2 | 4:3 | 4:0 | 7:3 | 2:7 | 3:8 | 2:2 | 6:3 | 4:1 | 0:3 | |
| FC Rules the World | 3:3 | 2:3 | 5:9 | 4:5 | 4:2 | 3:4 | 1:4 | 1:5 | 5:5 | 4:3 | 3:7 | |
| M7 FC | 5:5 | 3:4 | 9:5 | 2:3 | 3:1 | 1:4 | 3:6 | 5:4 | 5:5 | 3:2 | 2:3 | |
| MVPs United | 1:4 | 0:4 | 5:4 | 3:2 | 3:3 | 7:3 | 6:4 | 7:5 | 4:6 | 4:2 | 4:3 | |
| N5 FC | 5:6 | 3:7 | 2:4 | 1:3 | 3:3 | 4:3 | 5:6 | 2:5 | 6:7 | 4:5 | 2:7 | |
| Santan FC | 5:4 | 7:2 | 4:3 | 4:1 | 3:7 | 3:4 | 4:3 | 6:4 | 1:1 | 2:6 | 4:6 | |
| SDS FC | 5:2 | 8:3 | 4:1 | 6:3 | 4:6 | 6:5 | 3:4 | 3:5 | 2:4 | 6:2 | 2:2 | |
| Trebol FC | 9:8 | 2:2 | 5:1 | 4:5 | 5:7 | 5:2 | 4:6 | 5:3 | 5:3 | 5:5 | 4:2 | |
| VZN FC | 3:8 | 3:6 | 5:5 | 5:5 | 6:4 | 7:6 | 1:1 | 4:2 | 3:5 | 4:2 | 1:6 | |
| Wembley Rangers AFC | 3:3 | 1:4 | 3:4 | 2:3 | 2:4 | 5:4 | 6:2 | 2:6 | 5:5 | 2:4 | 7:5 | |
| Yanited | 7:5 | 3:0 | 7:3 | 3:2 | 3:4 | 7:2 | 6:4 | 2:2 | 2:4 | 6:1 | 5:7 |
Final Four
The Final Four matches were held on 12 June 2025.
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | Deportrio | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | SDS FC | 3 | 4 | SDS FC | 4 | ||||
| 2 | MVPs United | 5 | 2 | MVPs United | 3 | ||||
| 3 | Yanited | 1 | |||||||
Semi-finals
| MVPs United | 5–1 | Yanited |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
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Final
| SDS FC | 4–3 | MVPs United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
References
- ^ Baller League. "Leaderboards". BallerLeague. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ BallerLeague. "Gameday 11". Baller League. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Baller League: Sky Sports and NOW becomes the TV home of inaugural UK season". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Baller League UK fixtures, schedule, teams, managers and rules plus how to watch or stream on Sky Sports". Sky Sports. 24 March 2025.
- ^ a b SkySports (13 June 2025). "Baller League Final Four LIVE! Scores, results, fixtures as Angry Ginge, Gary Lineker, Alisha Lehmann and more face-off". SkySports. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Baller League: Sky Sports and NOW becomes the TV home of inaugural UK season". Sky Sports. 10 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Baller League UK: What is it, Teams, Schedule, How to Watch". SI. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Baller League UK: YouTubers get better of Premier League legends on touchline". BBC Sport. 1 April 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Ian Wright snaps up former Irish League star for Baller League team". Yahoo Sports. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "'Nonsense' Baller League rules can bridge sport and entertainment". www.bbc.com. 8 April 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.