One of the fixtures of the World Cup has been the uber-popular streamer Darren Watkins Jr., better known as IShowSpeed.
The social media creator known for his interactive livestreams has taken center stage at the tournament, documenting his experiences at matches and Fan Fests. He has more than 50 million followers each on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Clips from his streams constantly go viral on social media, including one of an older FIFA employee saying the code phrase to end his stream, him wearing split jerseys because the teams he repped kept losing, and begging Lamine Yamal to beat Lionel Messi because he is a Cristiano Ronaldo fan.
Watkins, 21, also has an official relationship with FIFA. Earlier this summer, he released a song for the World Cup that FIFA added as an official tournament song. He’s also set to perform at FIFA’s closing ceremony ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The streams have also caught a darker side of this World Cup. Watkins, who is Black, has been subject to repeated racism and abuse from Argentine fans, repeatedly documenting Argentine fans making obscene and racists gestures and comments toward him on his livestreams
