World Cup winners Inzaghi, Cannavaro at Freestyle Soccer World Final

LECCE (Italy):  Two former world champions will be judging the performances at the world final of Red Bull Street Style, the most credible freestyle football championship on the planet, in Lecce from 20 to 22 September. Fabio Cannavaro and Pippo Inzaghi will be part of the jury entrusted with selecting the next world champion of this spectacular, entertaining sport.

The rules: three minutes, two players, one ball.

The five-member jury, from the world of football and breakdance, will rate control, creativity and style of the freestylers, who will be facing off one-on-one, alternating ball possession every 30 seconds. During this short interval, they will have to perform their most spectacular tricks to music, hoping to impress the jury, see off their rivals and move into the next round. For 180 seconds, anything goes – except the use of the hands.

Former Italian striker Pippo Inzaghi, who was the only player in history to score in the finals of the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup all in the same year, is looking forward to the Red Bull Street Style World Final: “As a player I always felt privileged because I was able to do what I loved best for a living.

Passion is a must in every sport. I hope all the ballers taking part in the world final of Red Bull Street Style are able to reach their goals and have fun doing so, because this is the spirit of freestyle football.”

“I’m happy to take part in events like Red Bull Street Style and talk to those involved, and finding out what drives them to train harder and harder to make it to the top is really interesting,” echoes fellow Italian Fabio Cannavaro, 2006 World Cup winner and the only Italian defender ever to win the “Ballon d’Or” (Golden Ball).