Streamer IShowSpeed Is Gen Z's ESPN

WIRED 

At 21, Speed has pushed the limits of streaming by transforming a distinctly solo format into a global group chat. His song for this year's World Cup is becoming the tournament's unofficial anthem. Streamer IShowSpeed is a huge soccer fan who plans to bring this year's World Cup to his millions of followers. In the days leading up to the 2026 World Cup, the streamer IShowSpeed--one of the most watched people on the planet, who occasionally moonlights as a rapper--released the music video " World Cup (Champions)," a song about flexing national pride where he mentions all 48 teams. As with everything the 21-year-old born Darren Watkins Jr. does, the video was instantly everywhere. The song racked up over 7 million views on YouTube in under 24 hours. The internet rushed to christen it as the anthem of the tournament, even though the World Cup already has one. FIFA, following a ridiculous outpouring from fans and perhaps realizing the massive instant exposure he could bring, added the song to its official album.