Did This Sport Kill Off It's Best Athletes? ❌

There’s a certain kind of mindset you need for freestyle. You have to be okay with failing…constantly! Hours of training where nothing works. Days where progress feels impossible. But every now and then, something lands.

And when it finally landed for Matko was when he became the first person in the world to land the quadruple ATW; a trick so technical and powerful most people wouldn’t even understand it just by watching. It wasn’t just luck. Hours, months and even years had gone towards this single moment where everything finally aligned for him.

You won’t see this kind of achievement making headlines, but within freestyle, it means everything. Still, individual tricks are one thing. Competition is something else entirely.

January 2025, Matko became the first ever person to complete 4 REVOLUTIONS of the ball with a single leg, subsequently leading to the trick’s naming of Matko ATW (Matko Around the World).

If freestyle has a centre, it’s Superball. The best freestylers in the world, all gathered in one place. No shortcuts, no easy paths. Matko says he didn’t go in expecting much, “I only prepared for two months.”

After barely training for most of the year, just being there felt like enough. But sport has a way of surprising you, sometimes when you least expect it. Round after round, he kept going. And suddenly, he wasn’t just participating. He was competing.

*Top 16 in the world*

Each round meant facing names that carried weight: Leon (UK), Jonathan (NED), Yo (JAP), Jesse (NED). The kind of opponents you don’t get time to warm into. You’re either ready, or you’re out.

And then came Jesse. The world number one…

You don’t play safe against someone like that. You can’t. Matko would have to risk it all and attempt the hardest tricks, his biggest combinations and moves he may only land once in a lifetime.

Matko did exactly that. And none of it worked.

“It was my worst freestyle performance ever,” he said.

There’s something brutal about that moment. Knowing what you’re capable of, but watching it slip away, trick by trick, in real time. No reset button. No second chance.

Just the painful silence afterwards.

For a long time, freestyle was everything.

The training, the progression, the competitions. Especially Superball. That was the goal. The reason to keep going. But somewhere along the way, that feeling started to change.

“It just doesn’t feel the same anymore,” Matko says.

It’s never just one single thing that leads to a passion fading. It’s a build-up. Competitions getting worse. No real rewards for winning, let alone training. Months of preparation leading to… nothing. And then the judging.

“I also think that the way the battles are scored is not right. Nowadays the person with the most amount of new tricks will always win a battle despite the fact that the other person had better tricks,” he adds.

For someone like Matko, who’s pushed technical limits and created something original, the lack of reward hits hard. Because it’s not just about doing new things; it’s about doing better things. And when that difference stops mattering, the whole system starts to feel off.

Even the rankings don’t reflect reality. Being placed between 150 and 250 in the world, despite strong results, means starting every competition at a disadvantage. Facing top opponents immediately. Fighting uphill from the very beginning. Not everyone has the time or money to fix that by competing constantly.

There are athletes, Matko says, who could reach top 16, maybe even higher, but only get one chance a year. And because of that, they never get the recognition they deserve.

If competitions weren’t enough, the culture around freestyle has started to change too. There was a time when freestyle lived online in a raw, honest way. Long videos. Training sessions. Real progress, shown over time.

Now, it’s different.

Short clips. Trends. Content built for attention, not depth.

Freestylers adapted and in the journey of change, something got lost. The essence of the sport has slowly faded - grind and individuality doesn’t always fit into a few seconds on a screen.

And the best video clips? They’re hidden. Saved for Superball, because to gain the competitive edge competitors feel like the shock-factor of showing something completely unexpected trumps all else. The public no longer has a chance to see what freestyle really looks like at its highest level, and this is why the craze and excitement, and new faces coming in, has all completely dried up and caused the sport to plateau.

For Matko, it’s reached a point where continuing doesn’t make sense anymore:

“I don't believe I will ever be back in freestyle again and I’m very sad to say that, but i just feel like there is nothing to train for anymore.”

It’s not said lightly. There’s frustration in it, along with something heavier. Disappointment, maybe. The kind that builds slowly over time. The ability is still there. The creativity and skill doesn’t just disappear overnight.

But without something to aim for, or a system that supports the athletes, it becomes harder to justify the effort.

Matko believes that better prize money, proper promotion and a structure that actually rewards the people pushing the sport forward may solve things.

Simple things, in theory but without them, even the most dedicated start to walk away.

Matko’s story isn’t just about one athlete. It reflects something bigger. Freestyle football is still there; in parks, small groups and quiet training sessions where no one’s watching. The same way it started. But at the top level, it feels uncertain. Like it’s searching for direction.

It’s crazy because on paper it’s a sport that thousands would love to watch and many train, or compete one day. And that’s the strange part. Because for those who’ve seen it up close, who’ve felt what it’s like to land something impossible even just once, freestyle is anything but small.

The question is whether the sport can find a way to keep people like Matko in it., or whether stories like his slowly become the norm.

Where to Watch?

“Flair20TV” is your absolute go to for years of battle content

“WFFA” for official association competitions

“Real Lowers” for a mix of personality as well as tricks

“@iamafreestyler” for short clips from around the globe

“@impctfreestyle” for edited clips

See when and where upcoming events are around the world

Want to Try Yourself?

(DM me on Instagram @alejandrosymons if you’re local to London/Hertfordshire)

Learn simple stalls and control first!

Don’t rush into crazy tricks! Balance and consistency matter more.

Any ball/football will do.

Find some flat space outdoors (or indoors if you’re careful!)

You’ll drop the ball constantly. That’s normal, everybody does!

Using the references above on where to watch and try and copy what they’re doing. This should be fun and exciting to explore!

Every 10-15 mins a day makes a difference. It’s about consistency, not long burnout sessions.

Find and message any freestylers or groups on Instagram. If you’re from the UK, @uk.freestylers is a great account to start.