Darts sensation Luke Littler will not be taking part in this year’s Sidemen Charity Match after KSI stepped in to shut down the idea. The hugely popular fixture, which brings together content creators and influencers for a football showdown, is set to take place today (Saturday, April 18) at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.
The 2025 edition features all seven members of the Sidemen going head-to-head with a YouTube Allstars XI. That lineup includes major online personalities such as AngryGinge, IShowSpeed, Logan Paul, MrBeast, and several other high-profile creators.
However, despite the buzz around the event, two-time world champion Littler will not be appearing for either side. Back in early February, the 19-year-old reacted to an Instagram post from the Sidemen announcing that tickets for the match had sold out within hours to their 6.2 million followers.
Clearly eager to be involved, Littler tagged the group and wrote: “Get me in the team Sidemen.” But any hopes of the lifelong Manchester United fan stepping onto the Wembley pitch were quickly shut down by KSI, one of the group’s founders.
Speaking during an appearance on Capital FM in March, KSI—who also serves as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent—was asked whether he had responded to Littler’s request. His answer was blunt and left little room for doubt: “I have not responded, and he’s not in.”
Despite how direct the rejection sounded, KSI explained that the decision wasn’t personal but rather based on a long-standing rule the Sidemen have always followed for the charity match.
“It sounds harsh, but we only have content creators in the Sidemen Charity Match,” he said. “We’ve never had traditional celebrities play. That’s more something you’d see in Soccer Aid. Maybe one day we’ll do something like Soccer Aid versus Sidemen—you never know.”
KSI even admitted that the rule applies across the board, regardless of how famous someone might be. According to him, even global superstars wouldn’t get an exception, reinforcing that Littler’s exclusion was purely about maintaining the event’s identity.
“We focus on content creators—that’s always been the idea,” he added. “Even if Justin Bieber wanted to play, we’d still say no. It’s content creators only.”
This year’s Sidemen squad is packed with influential online personalities, including Jack Joseph as manager, alongside Zerkaa, W2S, Vikkstar123, TBJZ, Deji, ChrisMD, and xQc—all of whom command massive audiences across various platforms.
Meanwhile, the YouTube Allstars team, managed by Calfreezy, features a strong lineup of its own, including Sketch, AngryGinge, KSI, Max Fosh, Mrwhosetheboss, NYKchazza, Danny Aarons, and more.
The Sidemen Charity Match kicks off at 3pm at Wembley Stadium and is once again expected to draw huge viewership online. Beyond the entertainment, the event serves a meaningful purpose, raising funds for charitable causes including Bright Side and M7 Education—the latter founded by Sidemen member Simon Minter and his brother Nick.
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