IShowSpeed responds to KSI’s “soccer” dig ahead of England vs. USA FIFA World Cup match

As World Cup fever sweeps across the globe, KSI and IShowSpeed are having a Twitter battle hours before the England vs. USA Group B fixture in Qatar. The two YouTubers are known for their passion for football and have been rivals on and off the pitch since their clash during the Sidemen vs. YouTube All Stars charity game in September.

KSI made a post quipping about the American use of the term "soccer" when Darren "IShowSpeed" decided to retaliate with a reply of his own. The Ohio native wanted people to like his tweet, where he claimed that the US would beat their neighbors from across the pond in the actual game.

England vs. USA World Cup match sparks IShowSpeed and KSI banter on Twitter

England will be looking to continue their World Cup bid after their resounding 6-2 victory over Iran this last Monday. Similarly, the USA will be aiming to get their first win in Qatar after their 1-1 draw with Wales.

The English YouTuber took to Twitter to exert dominance ahead of what is sure to be an amazing match by calling out the American side for their usage of the word "soccer."

The Twitter battle is far from over, as fans of both sides flocked to the two posts to help decide which country is better. However, at the time of writing, the USA seems to be trailing by at least 30,000 likes. Here is how social media reacted to the ratio battle with memes and other tactics:

Many fans kept up with the memes, while others tried to defend the use of "soccer" as a legitimate synonym for the sport. Prominent Twitch streamer Esfand even shared a screenshot addressing the etymology, but some people vehemently rejected it:

Darren and JJ's beef goes back months, and their friendly rivalry was at its peak during the Sidemen charity match. In that game, the 17-year-old American streamer decided to start off by tackling him to the ground with a foul from behind before celebrating.

That match was rife with drama as the two opposing sides scored a number of times, with Sideman FC finally beating their opponents with a one-goal lead in a highly competitive matchup. They had eight goals to YouTuber All-Star's seven at the end of the game.

The two content creators' iconic rivalry is perhaps best encapsulated by the picture below featuring IShowSpeed standing over KSI after a tackle later in the game.

Both YouTubers have millions of loyal fans who regularly watch their content. While KSI is a YouTuber veteran, IShowSpeed has had a meteoric rise in recent years, having amassed an impressive 13 million subscribers to his YouTube in a very short period of time. He will also be hosting a watch party for the England vs. USA match live, just like the one yesterday featuring Portugal vs. Ghana.

About the author

Richik has been specializing in streamer content at Sportskeeda for over 2 years. He also manages a group of writers who craft relevant news and features about content creators on platforms like Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. Prior to Sportskeeda, he interned at The Ken and worked as a reviewer at Blacksof where he fact-checked educational content.

Richik’s love for writing, researching, and archiving, along with his inquisitive nature and longstanding love for video games led him to pursue a career as a gaming journalist. He relies on primary sources for accurate information and ensures that his drafts are proofread, fact-checked, and well-researched.

As a child, Richik spent many a summer vacation playing the 1994 Road Rash with his cousins. Although more of an FPS and open-world fiend now, Richik enjoys single-player RPGs with compelling storytelling, such as The Last of Us franchise, and regularly teams up with his friends to play multiplayer titles like Valorant on PC.

Richik enjoys watching streamer and former esports athlete Shroud, and also finds inspiration in MrBeast's journey to become one of the most well-known content creators worldwide. Interviewing English-Somali YouTuber Sharky, a member of the renowned Beta Squad, was a career highlight for him.

When not writing, Richik likes to read, watch a movie or a game of football.

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