How much money did the Sidemen raise in the 2026 charity match, and did iShowSpeed play?
The Sidemen had a successful 2026 Charity Match and raised significant money, but many fans were more worried about whether Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins would make an appearance on the pitch.
The Sidemen is one of the most popular content creation organizations, and it holds an annual Charity Match that many creators participate in. All proceeds are given to charity organizations, and fans pour their support yearly. This year, fans were curious whether iShowSpeed would be seen at the event, and here’s the answer.
How much money did the Sidemen Charity Match 2026 raise?
The Sidemen Charity Match set a new record, raising an astounding £6.2 million with the YouTube All-Stars defeating Sidemen FC in a penalty shootout following a thrilling 10-10 draw. The donations were reported at £2,474,182 before the kick-off, and reached £4,694,177 by half-time. After the victory of the YouTube All-Stars, the final tally reached £6,218,875. This is a massive increase compared to 2025’s £4.7 million.
Image credit: Sidemen
The donations are expected to be divided between the Sidemen’s partner charity organizations; the two main partner organisations of Sidemen are Bright Side and M7 Education.
Bright Side is an organization that doesn’t use the funds itself and rather gives money to various other charities. M7 Education is an organization with a mission of building schools and improving education in underprivileged regions. The funds will reportedly be divided 86% towards Bright Side, and 14% will go to M7 Education.
Sidemen Charity Match 2026 peaked at approximately 2.2 million concurrent viewers
The official livestream from the Sidemen YouTube channel peaked at 1.9 million concurrent viewers. Other co-streamers such as Ibai “Ibai” Llanos Garatea and Mark “Ohnepixel” Zimmermann reportedly boosted the figure to 2,263,833. This is a substantial year-on-year decrease, as the 2025 match peaked at roughly 2.7 million concurrent viewers.
The 2026 match was held at Wembley Stadium in London, which is one of the most prestigious stadiums in Europe and is typically a location for major tournaments and events. The location is now becoming an annual tradition and was attended by 90,000 people. Sidemen’s matches have a hybrid viewership model, as the event is broadcast online and audiences can also watch it in-person. This gives viewers more freedom and can also increase the total number of viewers.
Did iShowSpeed play in the Sidemen Charity Match 2026?
No, iShowSpeed didn’t participate in the 2026 Sidemen match. The streamer wasn’t confirmed on the final roster, and didn’t appear in the match. iShowSpeed had played in previous Sidemen Charity Matches, which is why many fans were expecting to see the content creator in 2026 as well.
Despite iShowSpeed not being at the event, the 2026 Sidemen Charity Match still managed to break records and raised substantial money. The streamer’s fans, however, noted his absence because iShowSpeed is a football fan that is known for his high-energy moments that tend to go viral, and it remains to be seen if he will appear in the next edition of the Charity Match. The American recently expanded his global footprint with the launch of his own anime series.
Feature image credit: Wembley Stadium
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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