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[[File:Freestylefootbal.jpg|thumb|250px|Freestyle Football]]
''' Freestyle [[Association football|football]]''', also known as '''freestyle soccer''' in [[North America]], is the art of expressing yourself with a football, while performing various tricks with any part of the body. Similar in style to [[keepie uppie]], [[kemari]] and the ball discipline of [[rhythmic gymnastics]], it has become a widespread [[sport]] across the [[world]] and is practised by many people.

== Increase in popularity ==
Freestyle football has existed since the early 1900s,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://freestylefootball.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/The-History-of-Freestyle-Football.pdf|title= The History of Freestyle Football |accessdate=2011-03-09}}</ref> but it has seen a surge in popularity as a result of global advertising campaigns and digital media sharing. In the early 21st century, [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] began an advertising campaign which relied heavily on the freestyle form of football, including video clips of freestyle performances. The videos are called Joga Bonito which means "play Beautifully." These advertisements featured famous players such as [[Ronaldinho]], [[Cristiano Ronaldo]] and [[Edgar Davids]]. Many link such mass media attention to the start of the freestyle craze. In the [[YouTube]] era, however, many previously non-famous players have risen to prominence, and internet searches easily yield thousands of videos by amateur "freestylers" around the world.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/your_game/7416455.stm|title= Brits lead freestyle revolution|publisher= BBC|date= 2008-05-23|accessdate=2010-05-31}}</ref>

Some of the more notable freestylers include: [[Hee Young Woo]] (Mr. Woo) of South Korea, [[Victor Rubilar]], Four time Guinness World Record Holder<ref>http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/interview_i-get-very-close-to-the-audience-victor-rubilar_1322329</ref> and [[John Farnworth]], [[Britain's Got Talent (series 3)|who appeared in Britain's Got Talent]] in 2009. s
Some of the most notable women in the sport are Mélody Donchet and Indi Cowie. Sweden, United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, France, Hungary and Poland are considered the best countries in the world regarding freestyle football.

Freestyle has also become very popular in South America, with countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Chile forming freestyle [[crews]] of dozens or even hundreds of freestylers, some of the most important Latin Freestylers are Charly Iacono who got to the Semi finals of "Talento Argentino" a Argentinian talent show, and Cristian "Rocky" Mayorga who came third in the South Africa 2010 Red Bull Street Style world finals.

== Freestyle competitions ==
Shortly after, Nike launched a freestyle football competition on the internet "Nike Football", in which participants could submit their own clips and receive feedback from a worldwide audience.

In December 2006 the "Masters of The Game" competition, held in [[Amsterdam]] and was won by [[John Farnworth]]. [[Nutmeg (football)|Nutmeg]] or Panna and other street football competitions have been held featuring street soccer players such as Edward Van Gils 'Edje', Issy Hitman, and Jermaine Vanenburg 'Vaantje'.

In 2007 there was a competition in Latin America called [[Red Bull]] Reaccion.

Also in 2007 Redbull futbol de calle was held in NYC's Webster Hall.

In 2008 the [[Red Bull]] Street Style saw as winner the Italian Domenico Grasso from Brescia, called DomyBD, freestyler of Footwork Team, who has also rappresented Italy at the world Championship, graduating 8th on the 3200 total participants.

The French Arnaud "Séan" Garnier is the first world champion of Red Bull Street Style Soccer. The final of the [[Red Bull Street Style]] competition was held in Brazil In November [[2008]]. Arnaud Garnier "Séan" beat out the other 42 competitors to win the competition.
The 2010 Red Bull street style was held in Cape Town South Africa April 24–28. The winner was Anders "Azun" Solum from Norway, who beat Kamalio Ranchod from South Africa in the final.

In 2011, the [[WFSLeague]] (World Foot Style League) was created to structure the sport and establish competitions on regular basis. 
The WFSLeague uses a new kind of judging and scoring system (proprietary) that differs from all other competitions.
The WFSLeague started in Tokyo and Osaka for the 2011 season.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rPdtks_ihU|title= WFSLeague Tokyo 2011 TV documentary |accessdate=2011-04-08}}</ref>

==Freestyle in Association Football==
Although freestyle football exists on a standalone basis in its own right, the incorporation of freestyle skills into [[association football]] has enabled both sports to leverage off one another. Notable association football players who incorporate freestyle tricks into their game include [[Ronaldinho]], [[Carlo Costly]], [[Cristiano Ronaldo]], [[Zlatan Ibrahimović]], [[Robinho]], [[Ricardo Quaresma]], [[Garrincha]]

==Freestyle football in popular media==
*''[[FIFA (video game series)#Street football games|FIFA Street video game series]]'', published by [[Electronic Arts]]. ''FIFA Street'' series focuses on flair, style and trickery, reflecting the cultures of freestyle football and [[street football]] played in the streets and backlots across the world.
*[[Guinness World Record Videos]]
*[[Joga Bonito]], ("Play Beautifully" in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]) is a football-oriented social network service created by Nike and [[Google]], based upon Google's [[orkut]]
* Nike Stickman TV commercial, featuring [[Hee Young Woo]]
* [[Freestyle Street Soccer]], a 2004 videogame
* 2008 [[Red Bull Street Style]] World Final in Sao Paolo
* Cero I and Cero II
* Urban Freestyler DVD
* Destination X Maukas Crew
* Red Bull Street Style World Final 2010 in Cape Town
*Powerade "Keep Playing" South Africa 2010 Campaign Featuring [[John Patrick Acquaviva]]
* [[WFSLeague]] "Tokyo Series" TV documentary (26 minutes)

==References==
{{Commons category|Football freestyle}}
{{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Freestyle Football}}
[[Category:Association football variants]]
[[Category:Association football terminology]]

[[cs:Freestyle fotbal]]
[[es:Fútbol freestyle]]
[[fr:Football freestyle]]⏎
[[it:Freestyle (calcio)]]
[[ja:フリースタイルフットボール]]
[[pl:Freestyle football]]
[[pt:Embaixadinha]]
[[ru:Футбольный фристайл]]
[[simple:Freestyle football]]
[[fi:Jalkapallon pomputtelu]]
[[sv:Fotboll freestyle]]
[[th:ฟุตบอลฟรีสไตล์]]
[[uk:Футбольний фристайл]]