This Kerala boy’s shot shatters instagram records

A football kick by Muhammad Rizwan garners over 554 million views, 9.4 million likes and 43,000 comments

Hyderabad: It was just a fun trip to the Keralamkundu Waterfall in Malappuram, Kerala, for Muhammad Rizwan. Instead, it turned Rizwan, a content creator and a freestyle footballer, into an internet sensation.

A reel uploaded by Rizwan shows him kicking a football into the serene waterfalls but the ball ‘disappears’, leaving him and his companion astonished. It also left the internet amazed. With over a staggering 554 million views, 9.4 million likes and 43,000 comments, Rizwan’s Instagram reel has shattered all the records.

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The video boasts views more than the combined population of Germany, Spain and France.

“I never expected this to happen. It was just a fun video with friends. Within 10 minutes, it had around 2,00,000 views, and by the time I got home, it had already hit a million,” says the Kerala-based content creator.

Posted in November 2023, the video received an honour from the Guinness World Record. The footballer’s achievement was officially acknowledged on January 8, 2024. In another video clip, Rizwan was seen celebrating with the world record certificate in one hand and a football in the other at the same waterfall where he shot to fame.

 

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A post shared by muhammed riswan (@riswan_freestyle)

Rizwan says his dream of becoming a professional football player was shattered when he injured his hand while playing. And that’s when he turned towards freestyling.

Freestyle football is the art of playing tricks with football. Instead of using hands and elbows, the ball is juggled with other parts of the body. The sport combines football tricks using acrobatics, dance, and music.

The 21-year-old is also admired for his freestyle football skills on car rooftops, mountaintops and even underwater.