Meet freestyle footballer Muhammed Riswan, one of two Indian creators to win Instagram Rings 2026

Muhammed Riswan | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Muhammed Riswan’s relationship with football began as a child in Areekode, Malappuram where he played in district tournaments. However, a broken hand during his teenage years forced him to take a break from the field. But today he does freestyle football (the art of performing tricks with a soccer ball), creates content and is one of two Indian creators to win the Instagram Rings creator award this year.

Instagram announced the 25 honorees on Thursday (October 29). This year’s honorees were chosen by a 14-member jury that included rapper A$AP Rocky, fashion mogul Donatella Versace, creative content creator Jack Edwards and chef Vikas Khanna.

Another Indian recipient is Bhavitha Mandava, a fashion designer. Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland and American content creator Kareem Rahma are among the winners of the second edition of Rings.

“It was hard for me to quit the sport. Even though I wanted to quit soccer because of the pain, as soon as I got back from the hospital, I started kicking the ball and doing tricks with it. That’s how I discovered freestyle soccer,” says Riswan.

Riswan, who currently has over 2.7 million followers on Instagram, says, “This is a huge achievement for me and makes me very happy. I want to make Kerala famous with my skills and being one of the 25 people on the list is a start.”

The 23-year-old filmmaker rose to fame in November 2023 after he shot a Reel at Keralamkundu Falls in Malappuram, kicking a soccer ball that arched into the falls and went viral. With over 600 million views and counting, the January 2024 Reel became the most viewed Reel in the Guinness Book of World Records.

“Being a freestyler, I travel everywhere with the ball. I did the same thing when I visited the falls that day. Something about the place made me shoot the ball into the chasm where the water flowed down. The video had 100 million views on the first day,” recalls Riswan, who started freestyling by watching YouTube videos until he started doing tricks.

“That Reel changed my life. After it went viral, people started recognizing me and I started getting invited to promotional concerts and other events. I’m still mentioned in stories and comments because of that video. I actually built a house with the money I made from it,” he adds.

The creator believes that success depends on being equipped with the required skills and demonstrating them. “Once I started working there, I got the encouragement I needed to do freestyling as a profession. Everyone wants to do a job they love and it makes me happy to lead my life that way.”

Muhammed Riswan | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In 2025, the Argentine soccer team invited Riswan to watch Lionel Messi’s home game at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. “He’s my favorite player and even though it was a difficult process to get the visa, once we got there it was a really fun experience,” says Riswan.

However, he regrets not being able to meet and interact with the legend. “Maybe next time I can spend more time with him. I also want to meet Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.”

Published – 30 Oct 2026 12:44 IST