When Sidemen FC take on the YouTube All Stars on Saturday, last year’s penalty-shootout hero Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. will not be suiting up in a red jersey.
The 2026 Sidemen Charity Match is set to be the biggest edition of the annual star-studded clash since its inception a decade ago. Content creators from across the globe have come together to compete in a showpiece game in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
All proceeds from the match go to charity, with Brightside and M7 Education benefiting from this year’s installment. Fans watching from home can also donate to the causes as they take in what promises to be another chaotic 90 minutes of soccer featuring the internet’s biggest stars.
One major name expected to miss the event, though, is IShowSpeed, who clutched the winning penalty kick last year to claim the YouTube All Stars’ first-ever victory over the Sidemen.
Why IShowSpeed Isn’t Playing in 2026 Sidemen Charity Match
What a way to end the match… pic.twitter.com/5SMNFKKRAx
— Sidemen (@Sidemen) March 8, 2025
The Sidemen confirmed both squads for Saturday’s charity match, and IShowSpeed’s name wasn’t included. His absence comes as no surprise to WWE fans.
The 21-year-old is competing at Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. IShowSpeed is teaming up with Logan Paul and Austin Theory in a six-man tag-team match against The Usos and LA Knight.
WrestleMania is in Las Vegas, though, and does not technically start until 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST). In theory, IShowSpeed could make an appearance at Wembley and make it back in plenty of time for his match at Allegiant Stadium, but there has been little indication of any plans to do so.
Paul, who also featured in the match last year, could join his new tag-team partner in what would be a surprise appearance, but neither is officially on either roster.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why IShowSpeed Isn’t Playing in 2026 Sidemen Charity Match.
