Meet freestyle footballer Muhammed Riswan, one of the two Indian creators to win the Instagram Rings 2026
Freestyle footballer Muhammed Riswan has been named one of the 25 winners of the Instagram Rings 2026 creator awards. The 23-year-old from Kerala gained recognition for his viral content and skill in blending football tricks with artistic performance.
Why it matters
The recognition of Indian content creators by global platforms like Instagram highlights the growing influence of regional talent in the global digital creator economy.
Muhammed Riswan’s relationship with football began as a kid in Areekode, Malappuram, playing in district tournaments. However, a fractured arm when he was a teenager forced him to take a break from the field. But today, he does freestyle football (the art of performing tricks with a football), creates content, and is one of two Indian creators to win the Instagram Rings creator awards this year. Instagram announced the 25 award winners on Thursday (October 29). A 14-member jury, including rapper A$AP Rocky, fashion mogul Donatella Versace, author-content creator Jack Edwards and Chef Vikas Khanna, selected this year’s awardees. A tango with the football, freestyle fashion A tango with the football, freestyle fashion A tango with the football, freestyle fashion storyline 1 The other Indian recipient is Bhavitha Mandava, a fashion creator.
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