The new King of Kick-Ups: Swedish soccer player juggles ball for over 24 hours STRAIGHT

For those starting out at soccer, juggling the ball 10 times in a row can be hard enough – yet even the greatest players know that these “keepie uppies” (or “kick ups”) are a surefire way to demonstrate control of the ball. 

Enter Daniel Yaakob (Sweden), the latest champion of this essential soccer skill and Guinness World Records title holder for the longest marathon controlling a football (male)!

Within the gymnasium of the Rydshallen sports complex in Linköping, Sweden on 31 May 2025, this freestyle football TikToker kept the ball in-air for 28 hours, 21 minutes and two seconds, pausing only for short breaks before bouncing the ball back on to his knees, chest, and feet.

He took the popular record over from Dan Magness (UK), who kept the ball aloft for 26 hours during an event organized by Muse Production Limited at Olympian City, Hong Kong, from 10 to 11 June 2010.

Before the event, Daniel told GWR that he wanted to break the record because he wanted to challenge himself and create something unique that could inspire others, adding that: “It is also a way to bring people together and create a memorable experience.”

Sharing his skills with others is a particular passion for Daniel, as he runs a freestyle footy account on TikTok dedicated to showing off his tips and tricks for the game.

“I want to inspire others to push their limits, promote consistency and focus, and show how social media can be used to spotlight positive challenges and achievements,” he said. “This record is the perfect combination of my passion for football, content creation, and personal growth.”

Read more stories about incredible athletes in our Sports and Fitness section!

On the day of the attempt, the aspiring record holder recruited volunteers to act as videographers and timekeepers, while he focused all his attention on keeping the ball in the air.

And at 4 a.m., before most of the city had woken up, Daniel began his attempt – effortlessly juggling the ball back-and-forth between his feet, and occasionally flipping it up towards his knees, chest, and head. 

Clearly confident with his skills (for good reason), he didn’t risk trying any complicated tricks – likely because he was consciously aware of the fact that if the ball dropped, all his hours of effort would be for nothing.

Yet Daniel’s consistency was still incredibly impressive to watch, as he calmly kept the white ball spinning steadily above the floor.

Every three hours, the player was eligible for a 15 minute break, and Daniel would take the time to replenish his body and rewatch some of the footage his video team took of the attempt.

And after 28 exhausting hours of juggling, he was finally ready to finish his feat – twisting his foot around the ball in one last “around-the-world” trick, before flicking the football up into his hands while a crowd of spectators burst into cheers.

As some of his friends rushed to the court to congratulate the new record holder, Daniel’s timekeepers excitedly showed off his award-winning time to the video screen, while others continued clapping for the accomplished athlete.

And as far as keep-ups are concerned, we sincerely hope that Daniel keeps up the good work – so congratulations to this new record holder, you are Officially Amazing!