Baller League targets soccer re-invention after Miami launch

March 26 : With spectacular goals, blaring air-horns and millions watching online, the six-a-side Baller League USA made its debut in Miami last week, and CEO Felix Starck hopes it will help redefine how soccer, the world's most popular sport, is consumed.

Having started in his native Germany in 2024 with the British edition kicking off a year later, Starck and Baller League invested heavily in a purpose-built arena in Miami for their American launch, and last week it hosted around 3,500 fans.

Those in attendance got to see some spectacular action as teams coached by the likes of Brazilian great Ronaldinho, Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt and YouTuber IShowSpeed went head-to-head using a set of rules designed to maximise entertainment.

"Real football is people making a goal with two cans, and they play forward-moving, action football ... that's how football became the most-played and most-watched sport in the world," Starck told Reuters in a video call from Miami, where he is overseeing the league's first season in the U.S.

Bemoaning the fact that the modern trend for possession football has made the game boring and predictable, Starck points to goalkeepers in 11-a-side football now getting as many, if not more, touches than many attacking players in high-level games as a pattern he would like to break.

"The idea was super simple ... small-sided football is the most played sport in the world, and yet it's not defined. And it doesn't have a stage to shine. So what we're trying to do is define the sport," he said.

Starck is well aware of the potential pitfalls of launching a new league in a sporting landscape dominated by American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey, all while changing the rules and format of a