Who is IShowSpeed, one of the biggest football influencers in the world, target of racist gesture by Argentine fan

Argentine fan imitates a monkey for IShowSpeed during Argentina's game against Egypt.
Reproduction/YouTube/ishowspeed
The black American influencer IShowSpeed was again the target of racist attacks during the 2026 World Cup. This Tuesday (7), after Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt, in Atlanta, he filmed an Argentine fan imitating a monkey as he left the stadium. The streamer followed the match wearing the Egyptian team's shirt.
The episode happened four days after he was harassed by other Argentine fans during the match against the Cape Verde team. After the first case, FIFA opened an investigation to investigate a possible act of racism committed by Argentina fans.
READ ALSO: Argentine fan makes racist gesture to American influencer in Argentina x Egypt
Who is IShowSpeed?
At 21 years old, IShowSpeed is one of the most influential football content creators in the world. In January 2026, during a tour of Africa, he became the first black content creator to surpass 50 million subscribers on YouTube.
Time magazine included him in the list of the 100 most influential sports in 2026, stating that "it's difficult to name a more popular streamer" than him.
He currently has around 57 million subscribers on YouTube, 53 million on TikTok and 50 million on Instagram.
Known for his explosive style in live broadcasts, he has tens of millions of followers on the main social networks and has become one of the best-known personalities on the internet, especially among the young audience.
READ ALSO: Shakira reinforces her support for Colombia and says: 'This World Cup is ours'
Now on g1
The influencer's real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr. He was born in Cincinnati, in the American state of Ohio, and began publishing gaming videos on YouTube in 2016. His career gained momentum in 2021, when excerpts from his lives went viral on TikTok and other platforms due to his exaggerated reactions and the way irreverent way of communicating.
Since then, Speed has stopped producing just content about video games and started broadcasting trips around the world, meetings with celebrities and coverage of major sporting events, mainly linked to football.
A declared fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, he often reproduces the Portuguese star's celebrations and expressions in his videos. In recent years, he has also recorded content alongside players and sports personalities and followed competitions such as the World Cup and European Championship.
During the 2026 World Cup, he went viral again when he appeared behind the scenes of the tournament. In one of the most shared videos, he showed his abs to Ronaldo Nazário and acted as a translator for influencer Luva de Pedreiro in a conversation with Travis Scott.
Influencer IShowSpeed during Brazil's game against Norway.
Reproduction/Instagram/ishowspeed
First black creator to reach historic milestone
In January 2026, during a tour of Africa, IShowSpeed's channel surpassed the 50 mark million subscribers on YouTube. With this feat, he became the first black content creator in history to reach this number on the platform.
Travel and content around the world
In addition to game broadcasts, IShowSpeed produces lives in different countries, showing tourist attractions, local cultures and meetings with fans. The influencer also posts challenges, videos with celebrities, participation in charity events and rap and trap songs.
One of the most unusual episodes of his career occurred in January 2025, when he was named honorary mayor of Lima for one hour during a visit to Peru. On the occasion, he participated in an official ceremony, signed documents and spoke to thousands of fans gathered in front of the city hall.

Source: G1