Key Points
- Freestyle football is a sport in which athletes compete by performing various tricks using a football.
- The Australian Freestyle Football Open will be held in Sydney on 3 August.
- Freestyler Teto hopes more people will come to recognise the sport.
Hiroki Matsumoto, or Teto, was playing for his high school’s football club in Hadano, Japan's Kanagawa prefecture, when he noticed a group of former students gathering to perform their acrobatic ball tricks.
Before long, he asked to join their practice sessions. This was the start of a freestyle football career that has taken him around the world.
Freestyle football is essentially the art of juggling a football and performing creative, skilful tricks.
Teto at the Japan Freestyle Football Championship 2019 (JFFC 2019) Credit: Japan Freestyle Football Federation (JF3), Takanori Tsukiji
The World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) credits Argentine football great Diego Maradona as the first person to perform moves that are considered the fundamentals of freestyle football back in the 1970s and '80s.
Teto said he finds inspiration for his tricks in dance videos.
"I love to watch dance videos, so I extract my favourite moves from the videos and incorporate them into freestyle football techniques. It is rewarding when I think up a new move and successfully put it into practice," he told SBS Japanese.
Teto at the Setouchi Style Bomb, a tournament in Okayama, Japan. Credit: Setouchi Style Bomb
“In Australia, children, families and elderly people praise me a lot, which makes me feel glad,” he said.
Competing against the best
Teto will be among the participants in the men's to be held at The Street University in Sydney on 3 August.
“This exciting event will not only feature Australia’s top freestylers but also attract elite competitors from around the world,” Curtis Maher, the founder of Ausfreestyle, told SBS Japanese.
The competition is officially recognised by WFFA, which means players will earn points towards the world rankings, he added.
Seven countries will be represented at the event: Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Syria, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Maher explained that the main competition is structured as a knockout tournament: freestylers are paired up and go head-to-head in a battle-style format where they each have three rounds to impress the judges.
Teto said he is looking forward to pitting his skills against the region's top talents.
“It is like a competition to decide the best in Asia. I am excited to see how far I can go in the tournament.”
Maher said freestyle football is a rapidly growing sport that is easy to get into.
“Many beginners start by watching the numerous instructional videos and tutorials available online. As you gain experience, you can experiment with different movements, allowing you to create unique tricks and develop your personal style,” he explained.
'All you need is a ball and yourself'
Teto said he rapidly improved his skills during his university days in Kanagawa.
He finished in the top 32 in the competition, then placed in the top 8 in the Garcia International Freestyle Football Tournament, which took place in Gorinchem, the Netherlands in 2023.
Outside competitions, Teto has had different opportunities to demonstrate his skills. These range from teaching children freestyle football techniques to performing at the A-League football semi-finals and grand finals in 2024.
"When I participated in an international competition for the first time in the Czech Republic, I struggled with communicating with players from other countries. This is why I decided to move to Australia, to improve my English while practising freestyle football," he said.
Teto added that Australia offers a wider range of career opportunities for him as a freestyle footballer than Japan.
“When I was in Japan, I only focused on performing at competitions. In Australia, the player population is much smaller than in Japan, so I have more opportunities to be invited to events and performances, which has expanded the scope of my activities,” he said.
In big cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, people can easily join freestyle football communities and learn the techniques and joy of the sport from advanced players, Teto said.
Meanwhile, it also works as solo endeavour: “The sport is easy to get started, as all you need is a ball and yourself."
“I can stay fit, earn money, make friends, and have opportunities to perform in front of audiences with the sport. When I do street performances, I have more opportunities to be praised by people and talk with them. I believe the benefits are different for everyone, and you will find something fun if you keep playing it,” he said.
Teto said he hoped his performances could convince more people to recognise freestyle football.
The sport is not very well known. So, I want to raise awareness about the sport and give people a chance to try it out.Teto
Teto also urged those interested to give competitions a try.
“Everyone starts playing the sport as a beginner. I have seen many players saying ‘I will join the game when I get better’, but they end up not joining it. So, I want them to come to the competition first and get better by making mistakes and learning from them,” he said.
