New research shows that Chunkz, Niko Omilana and Angry Ginge are among the key digital personalities influencing how younger audiences follow football and World Cup narratives.
The first UA92 Influence Index has created a starting XI ranking the most influential football voices aged 30 and under.
The Index reflects a wider change in football media, where match reaction, tactical debate, fan culture and behind-the-scenes entertainment is diversifying across platforms rather than solely through traditional media.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, academics at UA92 built the Index to examine the growing reach of young football creators and personalities.
The selected Starting XI collectively reach 63.5 million followers, close to the population of the United Kingdom.
The Index measures reach, engagement, video views and cultural impact, which researchers describe as ‘Heat’.
‘Heat’ makes up 30 per cent of the score and captures how strongly audiences interact with and talk about each personality.
Spencer Fearn, lecturer at UA92 and former youngest owner of a British football club, said the findings highlight how football audiences are increasingly shaped by creators and streamers across digital platforms.
He added that understanding audience engagement now underpins many careers in football, from content production and broadcasting to marketing, analytics and coaching.
The study coincides with the launch of UA92’s Football Broadcast and Journalism degree, following its Business of Football course introduced last year.
The programme is developed with professionals from BBC Sport, ITV, Channel 4 and CNN, and includes placements with partners such as Salford City FC, Manchester United and Lancashire Cricket Club.
The research reflects a fast-changing football media environment that UA92 is tracking through its Influence Index.
Chunkz leads with 14.2 million followers built through football and entertainment content.
Niko Omilana ranks second with viral football videos and mainstream entertainment content.
Angry Ginge is third after rapid growth driven by creator matches and TV appearances.
His cultural influence score is high due to strong engagement and audience interaction.
Thogden is fourth thanks to stadium-based fan content and strong engagement.
W2S and Behzinga, part of The Sidemen, feature due to their football content and large charity matches.
ChrisMD is included for football skill-based content and collaborations with professional players.
The study also highlights women’s football, with England players Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo both appearing in the rankings.
- Cultural Impact (“Heat”) – 30%
- Followers / Reach – 20%
- Engagement Rate – 15%
- Video Views – 15%
- Average Interactions – 10%
- Likes – 5%
- Comments – 5%
Chunkz. 14,238,614 4.13
Niko Omilana 12,586,000 4.02
Angry Ginge. 7,302,501 3.71
Thogden 3,887,292 3.37
ChrisMD 9,216,395 3.21
Harry Lewis (W2S) 3,900,000 3.20
Ethan Payne (Behzinga) 3,137,000 2.97
Danny Aarons 3,968,000 2.63
Leah Williamson 1,260,672 2.17
Sharky 2,880,000 1.92
Alessia Russo 1,129,521 1.87
