By Filipa Gaspar via SWNS
A British teen has become the youngest-ever football freestyle world champion – but she’s not allowed to use it for her PE exams.
Super-talented Isabel Wilkins, 17, was able to control a ball not long after she could walk – and is now is a master at ‘keepy-uppies’.
Midfielder Isabel played for several local clubs at the town and regional level in her home county of Wiltshire.
But when COVID-19 lockdowns meant she had to stop playing football matches she started freestyling.
Isabel, of Bradford-on-Avon, has now won a second freestyle football world championship in Liberec, Czech Republic.
A panel of judges marked scores points based on difficulty, execution, control, originality and variety.
She said: “I feel amazing to have achieved these titles so early on in my career – it’s an amazing experience to compete in competitions all across the world.
“What I think makes me a successful freestyler is my discipline and determination as well as always trying to be innovative and constantly wanting to improve and get better to help me achieve my goals.
“This has been really helped by the support I have been given from the community and having many role models and mentors in the sport that has helped me get to where I am today.”
After training ‘seriously’ for three years, the teenager became the youngest female freestyle football world champion when she won the Super Ball World Open in Prague at the age of 15.
The championship tests people’s technical skills with a football – also known as keepy-uppies.
Isabel has so far won two world championships and one UK championship.
She also holds five football-related Guinness World Records and has a page in the 2025 book dedicated to her.
Isabel learnt the tricks all by herself by just going out into her garden and trying new skills – and she now even creates her own tricks.
The teenager who goes to school in Monkton Combe, Somerset trains early in the morning and when she returns home in the afternoon.
She said: “I like everything about it as you are able to express yourself in your own way with the ball by developing your own style and creating new moves.
“As well as being able to train with others in the community, I have made friends with people from all over the world that share the same passion as me.”
Despite her immense skills in the sport, Isabel is not able to include her freestyling skills in her PE course for A-levels.
She said: “Freestyle football is not in the specification so I can’t use footage for it as my sport and can’t write my coursework on it.”
Her ultimate goal would be for freestyle to be her full-time job and share the sport with everyone across the world, doing shows, shoots and workshops.
Isabel added: “I want to help inspire the new generation and grow freestyle as a sport as well as trying to achieve as many titles as possible and enjoy freestyle.”
