Darts sensation Luke Littler has been turned down in his bid to feature in this year’s Sidemen Charity Match, with KSI confirming the 19-year-old will not be taking part.
The YouTube star and boxer addressed Littler’s request during an appearance on Capital FM, delivering a firm rejection to the teenage prodigy’s hopes of playing at Wembley.
“I have not responded, and he’s not in,” KSI stated when asked about the darts phenom’s appeal.
The annual fixture, which brings together YouTubers and online personalities, operates under a strict content creators-only rule that prevents any celebrities from participating, regardless of their profile or popularity.
Littler made his intentions clear at the beginning of February when he publicly lobbied for a spot in the match via social media.
The darts star responded to a Sidemen Instagram post announcing that tickets for the event had sold out within hours of being released to their 6.2 million followers.
“Get me in the team Sidemen,” the teenager wrote, tagging the group directly in what appeared to be a genuine plea to participate.
Five things to know about Luke Littler | PA
His request generated considerable excitement among fans who hoped to see the darting phenomenon swap the oche for the football pitch at the Home of Football.
However, those hopes have now been firmly dashed by KSI’s response.
KSI was keen to stress that the decision was not a personal slight against Littler, emphasising that the policy applies universally to all famous faces outside the content creation sphere.
Darts sensation Luke Littler has been turned down in his bid to feature in this year’s Sidemen Charity Match, with KSI confirming the 19-year-old will not be taking part
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PA
“It sounds so bad, but we only have content creators on the Sidemen Charity Match,” he explained.
“So we haven’t ever had a celebrity come on to play. That’s more for like Soccer Aid.”
The YouTube personality suggested that celebrity involvement belongs elsewhere, floating the possibility of a future crossover between the two charity football events.
To illustrate just how strictly the rule is enforced, KSI offered a striking comparison: “Even if Justin Bieber wanted to play, we’d go ‘No! Content creators only!'”
The 2026 Sidemen Charity Match is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, with proceedings getting underway at 3pm.
Luke Littler and Faith Millar made their Brits debut together on Saturday night
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PAWembley Stadium will host the sold-out event, continuing the tradition of staging the fixture at England’s national ground.
Fans unable to attend in person will be able to watch the action unfold via the Sidemen’s YouTube channel, where the match will be streamed live.
The Sidemen will face off against the YouTube Allstars, replicating last year’s encounter which produced an 18-goal spectacle featuring the likes of IShowSpeed, Logan Paul and Mr Beast.
Proceeds from this year’s charity fixture will support two causes: Bright Side and M7 Education.
