Luke Littler may be able to conquer Wembley as a spectator, but playing there in the Sidemen Charity Match this April is officially off the table. KSI has delivered a blunt, unambiguous rejection to the 19-year-old darts world champion — and the door may not be opening any time soon.
Five Words That Went Viral
The story began in early February, when the Sidemen announced that tickets for their 2026 Charity Match — returning to Wembley Stadium on April 18th — had sold out within hours of going on sale to their 6.2 million Instagram followers. It was that post that prompted a very public and very direct response from Littler.
The back-to-back world darts champion posted a simple, five-word message aimed squarely at KSI: *”Get me on the team.”*
The post lit up social media instantly. The image of the oche’s most dominant force swapping his tungsten arrows for football boots on the hallowed Wembley turf captured the imagination of fans across both worlds. Littler is no stranger to the wider sports scene — he is a regular presence at football matches and high-profile sporting events — and the chemistry between his fanbase and the Sidemen’s audience made the idea feel genuinely exciting.
But excitement and eligibility are two very different things.
KSI’s Verdict: Simple and Final
During an appearance on Capital FM, KSI was asked whether he had responded to Littler’s request. The YouTuber-turned-boxer-turned-Britain’s Got Talent judge did not mince his words.
“I have not responded, and he’s not in,” KSI said flatly.
He then went on to explain the reasoning — not with malice, but with the firm clarity of someone who has enforced the same rule for years. “It sounds so bad, but we only have content creators on the Sidemen Charity Match. That’s how it’s always been.”
To illustrate just how rigid the policy is, KSI reached for the most extreme comparison he could muster: “Even if Justin Bieber wanted to play, we’d go, ‘No! Content creators only!'”
KSI was at pains to stress the decision was nothing personal against Littler. He spoke respectfully about the teenage sensation but held firm on the principle. “I think for us we’re focusing more on just content creators,” he added, before floating a tantalising idea for the future: “You never know, maybe one day we’ll have Soccer Aid versus Sidemen.” The implication was clear — celebrity footballers belong in Soccer Aid, and the Sidemen Charity Match will remain its own distinct, creator-exclusive world.
What Littler Would Have Been Walking Into
The scale of the event makes the rejection sting just a little more. The 2026 Sidemen Charity Match is set to be the biggest yet. Returning to Wembley Stadium — where 90,000 fans packed in for the 2025 edition — the event has grown into one of the most-watched live sports streams anywhere in the world. Last year’s match drew over eight million live viewers on YouTube, while previous editions have attracted participants including MrBeast, Logan Paul, IShowSpeed, and Kai Cenat.
Since 2016, the events have collectively raised over £8.5 million for British charities. This year’s proceeds will go to BBC Children in Need and the Sidemen’s own Bright Side initiative. The 2026 match will also be historic in its own right — for the first time, certain Sidemen members including KSI, Miniminter and Behzinga will be crossing over to play for the YouTube Allstars, shaking up the traditional team format.
By any measure, it would have been the perfect stage for Littler. The demographics align almost perfectly with his own fanbase — young, online, passionate. His presence would likely have attracted a whole new wave of viewers from the darts world. And had he managed to score? The clip would have been everywhere for weeks.
A Door Closed — For Now
For Littler, the knock-back is the latest in a string of frustrations. Already dealing with a difficult start to his 2026 Premier League Darts campaign — losing to Jonny Clayton in consecutive weeks and being booed by hostile crowds in both Glasgow and Belfast — this particular dream will have to wait.
Yet given his age, his profile, and his apparently genuine enthusiasm for football and broader entertainment culture, the idea of Littler eventually carving out a content creator identity of his own doesn’t feel far-fetched. He already commands a massive following across social media and regularly engages with the kind of digital culture that powers events like this.
For now, though, KSI’s rules are KSI’s rules. Content creators only. No exceptions — not for celebrities, not for world champions, and not even, it seems, for the most exciting young sportsman in Britain.
The oche, it seems, will have to do.
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