John Nellis
John Nellis is a Northern Irish football creator making player challenges, fan surprises and ambitious missions to meet the biggest names in the game.
At 100 nudges, fangea sends John’s team an official invite.
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Latest
John’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTubeOverview
- From
- Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
- Work
- Football creator and YouTube host
- Started YouTube
- 2019
- Breakout
- Football videos during the 2022 World Cup
Mini bio
How it started.
John started his YouTube channel in 2019 as a side project. In his interview with AFC Croydon Athletic, he traced his love of football to the 2002 World Cup, followed by collecting Premier League stickers and playing fantasy football.
Taking the leap.
He left air traffic control in 2022 to create videos full time. His subscriber count that day, 7,431, became a tattoo.
Finding his format.
John described the 2022 World Cup as his breakthrough, after several years of learning and improving. His team adapts familiar YouTube challenges to football, mixing player encounters with surprises for fans. His films include missions to meet Messi and Ronaldo, and a surprise meeting with Kylian Mbappé.
Beyond the channel.
In 2024, he won TikTok’s Sport Creator of the Year award for the UK and Ireland. In 2026, his work took him to a SXSW London panel on sports fandom and into the Strictly Come Dancing cast.
Creditschronological, newest first
YouTube
- 2026I Surprised World Cup Footballers with Custom GiftsCreator and host
- 2026Asking Celebrities To Watch Football in THEIR HomeCreator and host
- 2025100 Hours To Meet RonaldoCreator and host
- 2025I Invited 100 Strangers To Watch Football in My HomeCreator and host
- 2025100 Hours To Meet MessiCreator and host
- 2024Kylian Mbappé Surprised His Biggest FanCreator and host
Television and appearances
- 2026Strictly Come DancingCelebrity contestant, partnered with Katya Jones
- 2026Have a Guinness with a Creator: How the Brand is Alive and KickingSXSW London panel speaker
Awards
Quotes
You can go anywhere in the world, and you’ve probably got something to talk about.John Nellis, AFC Croydon Athletic interview
John was explaining how football helps people connect wherever they travel.
Trivia
- The 2002 World Cup sparked his interest in football.
- Before YouTube, his football hobbies included Premier League stickers and fantasy football.
- His viewers chose an amateur football club as the focus of his project to help grow a club’s YouTube audience.
Find John
Follow John for football challenges, player encounters and fan surprises.
Are you John Nellis?
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