Study crowns leading Gen Z football voices shaping fan culture before England’s World Cup campaign

A new UA92 report shows that creators like Chunkz, Niko Omilana and Angry Ginge are now central to how younger fans experience football content and discussion.

The inaugural UA92 Influence Index has identified a starting XI of the most influential football figures aged 30 or 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 created the Index to measure the rising influence of digital football personalities.

Those selected for the Starting XI collectively reach 63.5 million social followers, close to the size of the UK population.

The Index evaluates reach, engagement, video performance and cultural impact, referred to by researchers as ‘Heat’.

‘Heat’ contributes 30 per cent of the total score and reflects how strongly audiences engage emotionally and socially with creators.

Spencer Fearn, UA92 lecturer and former youngest British football club owner, said the selected figures represent a major shift in how football media operates, with creators now driving conversation alongside traditional outlets.

He added that analysing audience engagement has become a key skill across the football industry, shaping roles in media, coaching, analytics and club operations.

The findings coincide with the launch of UA92’s Football Broadcast and Journalism degree, following its Business of Football programme introduced last year.

The course is developed with broadcasters from BBC Sport, ITV, Channel 4 and CNN, and includes placements with organisations such as Salford City FC, Manchester United and Lancashire Cricket Club.

The study highlights the evolving football media landscape that UA92 aims to capture through its research.

Chunkz tops the list with 14.2 million followers from football and entertainment content.

Niko Omilana ranks second with viral videos and football-related stunts.

Angry Ginge comes third after a rapid rise driven by creator matches and TV appearances.

His cultural influence score is boosted by strong engagement beyond traditional follower metrics.

Thogden is fourth with fan-focused stadium content and high engagement rates.

W2S and Behzinga, members of The Sidemen, feature through viral football content and charity match involvement.

ChrisMD is included for football challenges and collaborations with professional players.

The report also highlights women’s football, with Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo both included in the rankings.

• Cultural Impact (“Heat”) – 30%
• Followers / Reach – 20%
• Engagement Rate – 15%
• Video Views – 15%
• Average Interactions – 10%
• Likes – 5%
• Comments – 5%