The newly retired footballer Toni Kroos launched a new project with the Icon League even before his retirement – and it promises to be big, just like his name!
What is the Icon League? A new small-sided soccer league that is likely to be quite similar to the existing Baller League – or is it?
Here you can find all the information about the new Icon League: participants, teams, dates and schedule, the mode with the special rules and the live broadcast
The key data of the Icon League 2024
What is the new Icon League
The Icon League was born on November 6, 2023, when it was announced that Germany’s top footballer Toni Kroos and social media star Elias Nerlich were launching a joint project.
The Icon League will be a small-sided soccer league in which teams of 7 players will compete against each other in a league.
It has not yet been decided in which city – or perhaps in which cities and towns – the games will be played. Nor has it been decided whether the games will be played outdoors or indoors.
Like Gerard Pique’s famous Kings League and Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski’s Baller League, which celebrated its premiere in 2024, The Icon League is also a tribute to the former footballing magic.
However, the new Icon League 2024 promises to be somewhat different from the two previously known templates. How will it differ from Baller League and Kings League? That remains to be seen.
Toni Kroos revealed cryptically in an interview: “We will create something new, something innovative, something electrifying. We will offer very entertaining soccer with entertainment – a spectacle. “
Icon League start and match schedule 2024: All dates at a glance
The 2024 Icon League will kick off on Sunday, September 1, 2024.
There are a total of 13 match days on the 2024 Icon League schedule, which will always be played on Monday from match day 2 onwards.
After the basic round, there will be a play-in tournament on December 2. The last of the 15 Icon League dates in 2024 is the final. The final is scheduled for December 15.
Icon League schedule & dates:
- Matchday 1: September 01
- Matchday 2: September 09
- Matchday 3: September 16
- Matchday 4: September 23
- Matchday 5: September 30
- Matchday 6: October 07
- Matchday 7: October 14
- Matchday 8: October 21
- Matchday 9 – October 28
- Matchday 10: November 04
- Matchday 11: November 11
- Matchday 12: November 18
- Matchday 13: November 25
- Play Ins: December 2
- Final: December 15
Icon League schedule: Matchday 1, September 1, 2024
Location: Where do the matches take place?
The first matchday of the “Toni Kroos League” will be played in Cologne in the Lanxess Arena. It should be a tremendous start!
After that, all games of the basic round and the play-in tournament will take place in Düsseldorf in the Castello multi-purpose hall.
The final on December 15 will then be played in the SAP Garden in Munich, the brand-new stadium of the Red Bull Munich ice hockey team and FC Bayern Basketball.
Icon League 2024 stars & teams: who is taking part
Which teams and participants are taking part in the Icon League 2024? Both current and former professional footballers as well as other big names from the world of sport and TV and internet entertainment will lead the 14 teams.
These are the team captains of the 14 Icon League teams:
Icon League teams and their captains
- Berlin City FC: Luciano and Antonio Rüdiger
- Players United: Leon Draisatl and Claudio Pizarro
- Two Stripes United: Felix Kroos and Robert Andrich
- Bavarian Clique: Franck Ribéry and ViscaBarca
- DNA Athletics: David Alaba and Niklas Wilson-Sommer
- The Pack: Simon Terodde and Wolff-Christoph Fuss
- B2B United: Bilal Kamarieh and Benjamin Henrichs
- Civic: Reezy and Achraf
- Berlin Underdogs: Ski Aggu and Fabian Reese
- Motor Neu5Land: Thorsten Mattuschka, FiNCH and Tim Kleindienst
- FOCUS Eagles: Sidney Friede and Jordan Torunarigha
- Wontorriors: Laura Wontorra and Nils Glagau
- FC One Football: Alphonso Davies and One-Football-Community
- FC Buzz Club: Omar Marmoush, Breel Embolo and Ismail Jakobs
League founder Elias Nerlich revealed the following about the teams in advance: “Many well-known names from the soccer scene, the entertainment sector and also the music industry have confirmed their participation.”
Admittedly, he didn’t promise too much. The list of Icon League 2024 participants includes some very prominent names from the big, wide world of soccer.
The 14 Icon League teams include many active soccer stars. These include the two Real Madrid stars Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba as well as Alphonso Davies (FC Bayern), Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig) and Fabian Reese from Hertha BSC.
Former Bayern stars Franck Ribery and Claudio Pizarro also lead two Icon League teams.
Leon Draisaitl, one of the best ice hockey players of our time, is even on the list of Icon League participants – as are soccer presenter Laura Wontorra and soccer commentator Wolf Fuss.
Which celebrity has which team?
Antonio Rüdiger leads the team “Berlin City FC”, Robert Andrich together with Toni’s brother Felix Kroos the selection called “Two Stripes United” and Franck Ribery the “Bavarian Clique”.
The football/ice field hockey duo Claudio Pizarro/Leon Draisaitl pull the strings with “Players United”, while David Alaba is in charge of the “DNA Athletics” team.
Fabian Reese is the manager of “Berlin Underdogs” together with Ski Aggu and Benjamin Henrichs is there for “B2B United”.
In the Icon League teams, Laura Wontorra will manage the team named after her, “Wontorriors”, and Wolff Fuss will not only talk a lot with “The Pack” together with Simon Terrode, but may also be allowed to make decisions here and there.
Mode & rules of the new Icon League
What will the format and mode of the new Icon League be?
The games will be played with 5 vs. 5 and with a cushion. There are already two differences to the Baller League, which is played 6 vs. 6 and without a cushion.
With a corresponding set of rules, everything should be even more exciting and varied. Further details on the mode and rules are not yet known.
In keeping with this, Nerlich revealed: “Let us surprise you. Feel free to speculate. But it’s not yet time to go into too much detail. “
TV & Stream: Who will be broadcasting the new small pitch league?
When there’s a new soccer league in Germany, especially when it involves well-known stars, fans of the round leather naturally want to know whether it can be watched live: Will the Icon League 2024 be broadcast anywhere?
The broadcast of the Icon League will be shown live on Twitch. Obvious, as social media star Elias Nerlich has almost two million followers on his Twich account.
It is also conceivable that the games will also be shown on a traditional TV channel – also to reach those soccer fans who are not (yet) on Twitch. The Baller League, for example, was shown live on Prosieben Maxx and also streamed on ran.de and Joyn.
But broadcasting the IL on RTL or the specialty channel Nitro would also be an option. After all, Elias Nerlich and RTL have often worked together in the past.
Another argument in favor of an Icon League broadcast on RTL and/or Nitro: Jana Wosnitza has been signed on as presenter. She works full-time at RTL for the NFL broadcasts…
