100 Hours To Meet 100 Footballers

[00:00] This is me, about to meet Rodri at the Ballon d'Or and he's just one of 100 footballers I'm trying to meet in the next 100 hours. So I'm the first one then? -Number one.

[00:14] our way up through the tiers of football before finishing at the Ballon d'Or. But we begin at level one where I'll be meeting footballers Good luck tonight all right? All right man, good luck.

[00:30] This was the biggest match of these players' lives were turning up to watch the game. And while I was greeting the squad, I even met their coach who was a former footballer too.

[00:46] They need to be a pro. -Pro, ex-pro. Patrice Evra, who I wanted to add to the 10 footballers I'd met so far.

[00:58] And once he'd finished his speech, I was invited into his private box Patrice, I haven't met you yet. I'm trying to meet 100 footballers in 100 hours. and we're going to the Ballon d'Or on Monday.

[01:14] as I also bumped into iShow Speed. Easy. my friend and YouTuber Nico Leonard. But I wanted to make sure he qualified.

[01:30] No, I played at a higher level. That's you. -I'm a number! And once I'd watched the footballers I'd met play the first half of the game,

[01:44] Excuse me, mate. Quick question. Are you an ex-footballer? So I'm doing a video where I'm going to meet 100 ex-pros, or pros.

[01:58] Albert. Albert, lovely to meet you. I'm John. Nice to meet you, Jeff. So one, two, three. Lads, nice to meet you. I'm John. Nice to meet you.

[02:13] And my friend was right as I bumped into former Northern Ireland Nice to meet you, I'm John. Can you be a footballer that I've met? And after a successful start to our challenge in Ireland, it was time for level two.

[02:32] Hour 23 and we're falling behind. We have 18 players so far, and I'm going to see how many players will meet me and sign my shirt. Let's go. How's things. How are you?

[02:46] You can have the nipple if you want it. [laughter] How's the body feeling? Players in 100 hours.

[02:59] Where do you want? Hi, thanks, man. Nice to meet you. Look, you're number 22 and 23.

[03:12] 24, just getting all over me. There's another two, so we're up to 26 players, mate. You got dirty, didn't you?

[03:25] That's it, lads. How's things? How we doing? and try and meet as many as I can.

[03:37] Oh, amazing. You're going for the nipple as well, then? I met more and more footballers 100 in 100 hours.

[03:51] We had Antoine Griezmann and Patrice Evry yesterday. We've had a few, so I don't know. Still him. He's still the best player, though.

[04:04] It's him then Griezmann. -Yeah. Sorry, nice to meet you. I'm John, nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you, Caleb.

[04:17] So what teams are you guys... We're at the Ballon d'Or. How are you, mate?

[04:30] How are you? Nearly halfway there. 77 hours left and you're number 42.

[04:42] Look after yourself, okay? But I wanted to make sure I met every player possible as meeting footballers at the Ballon d'Or was going to be much harder.

[04:55] We're nearly halfway. I'm John. of Ronaldo being on the training ground after everyone else?

[05:08] We're up to 47 footballers. Nice to meet you. The ticker is because you're the 48th footballer

[05:21] Honestly. And after a ridiculously successful session at Wycombe Wanderers, Hour 46 and we're going up the leagues again.

[05:36] We're on 48 so far. Did he play professionally? Very well, thank you.

[05:50] Were you a professional footballer at any stage? We're trying to meet 100 professional or ex-professionals in 100 hours. Oh, no. [laughter]

[06:05] I know, a professional coach. We'll have a few coming in. so I can make more professional footballers.

[06:17] Good luck today. He's going to just keep feeding the professionals to me. was youngster Jayden Meghoma.

[06:31] Yeah, all good. Thank you. I met former Liverpool player Fábio Carvalho. Would you mind signing my shirt for me?

[06:44] We're trying to meet 100 footballers in 100 hours. You're number 50. Do you think we'll get there? But now things were about to get serious

[06:57] was arriving at the training ground. They come through this door and he's the bouncer. But the first interaction I had was seriously awkward.

[07:12] Would you mind signing my shirt? [chuckles] Yes, sure.

[07:24] I'm good. Nice to meet you. I'm John. How's it going, lad? -Pretty good. Oh, you're the first one to go on the red.

[07:37] Nice to meet you. How's things? -How are we doing? Thank you. Is it athletes you want? -Yeah.

[07:49] I'm taking everyone I can get, man. Nice one. How's it going? This does make it feel very transactional, doesn't it?

[08:03] Ah, we're all good, man. I am, yeah. Cheers.

[08:15] How do you do? -Oh, we're all good. Good man. Enjoy the day, all right. I'm trying to meet 100 footballers in 100 hours.

[08:29] Yeah, so you're number 62. Nice to meet you, okay? Is that our final count? Are we likely to have any stragglers?

[08:41] So we headed inside to where the players relaxed before a match. Our man on the ground's in to try and find a few stragglers. I think I would have been happy with 64 before the day.

[08:56] Thanks for coming out. I know you're chilling out. And once Kevin Shade had signed my shirt, I left the players to prepare for their match and headed to the stadium,

[09:10] We've just bought two £100 tickets. And while I looked around the hospitality section for more footballers, And while I'd met most of the Brentford squad,

[09:25] I hadn't met Bryan Mbeumo or any of the Ipswich players yet. But back in the VIP lounge, I spotted a group of former footballers. Good, man.

[09:40] We're doing a video. Well, there is three here. Unbelievable.

[09:53] Yeah, 350 games. He was the top player, mate. I was... I saw him play. Lovely to meet you.

[10:06] That wasn't, but yeah. Three more? And as the teams came out for kick-off, my eyes were on one man.

[10:22] He's the one I want. Bryan Mbeumo scored two goals to help Brentford pull off an amazing comeback. He has to.

[10:37] I headed to the player's exit to try and meet more footballers. It's just about how do you make an Ipswich player stop. But he's too far out of reach, isn't he?

[10:52] Can I get a photo? Nice to meet you. -Have a good one, all right? [laughter] I can see a Brentford player that I haven't met yet, Kristoffer Ajer.

[11:07] Kristoffer, how are you? I missed you earlier. You're number 70.

[11:20] He knew the craic. Can I get a photo? Literally, everyone I get here takes pressure off the Ballon d'Or

[11:34] Excuse me, mate. Can I get a photo? Nice to meet you. I'm John. Can I clarify?

[11:46] Do you play football? Oh, that's a killer. Oh, nice to meet you. I'm John.

[12:01] Thank you, mate. Nice to meet you. -You too, mate. Is that okay?

[12:13] Do you know that you are the 74th player I've met in the last two days? Cheers. Thank you, mate.

[12:27] Wait there. Does that count as meeting someone? Controversial, just saying. [laughter] Just-

[12:39] How are you, mate? Excuse me, man. Wasted. [chuckles]

[12:52] Yeah, good, thank you. -Tough game. 77. How's it going?

[13:05] Thank you very much. -Sorry mate. Nice to meet you bud, cheers John. But while I was waiting to meet more Ipswich players,

[13:18] I accidentally let a former footballer walk right past me. Sone Aluko. But there was no way I was missing Ipswich defender Leif Davis.

[13:31] Safe home. Kalvin, can I get a photo, please? Don't do that to me.

[13:43] I appreciate it. He sold for savage money. Already met him.

[13:55] But one of the Brentford players I hadn't met yet was goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Oh, I didn't see you at the training ground, man. Oh, you're the first one to go up top.

[14:08] Let's go to 100. Now the only Brentford player I needed to meet was star man Bryan Mbeumo, Bryan, how's it going, man?

[14:22] Nice, yeah, of course. Can I ask you one more very quick favour? And if Bryan Mbeumo subscribes, you should too.

[14:36] And I'd be meeting this Premier League player in his own house. I'm a bit nervous.

[14:49] I'm good. Nice to meet you. What's good? [laughter]

[15:02] This is the first time ever in a Premier League player's house. Well, it's not really mine. It's my mum's. -Your mum's still. Once I'd taken off my shoes, I headed into Ola Aina's kitchen,

[15:16] My friends are jealous. -Oh, really? I just watched the latest one, like, two days ago. [laughter]

[15:30] So, we're trying to meet 100 footballers. This is number 83. There you go. [laughter]

[15:44] 17 to get at the Ballon d'Or, Really? Yeah.

[15:56] I think so, you know, maybe one or two. But if you're game let's do it. Yeah, I'll call someone up.

[16:12] Premier League? Championship? Premier bro. Ola, you know! I'm doing fine.

[16:25] Bro, we're coming back from Manchester still. Nah I will be in the next three hours. Because I'm here with John Nellis.

[16:38] Come on, have a wee look. Obviously, he's trying to meet 100 footballers Oh, my bad.

[16:51] 83. Nice to meet you. Does this count as meeting or is this cheating? FaceTime counts.

[17:03] You can call the rule. I think so, because I know if he was here, [laughter] There you go, see?

[17:15] Next time, yeah. See you later. It's all right, it counts, man. -It counts. 84!

[17:28] So who's the most famous player there you can call? Oh, gee. -He'll be at the Ballon d'Or, you know. You can tell the man to come and say hello.

[17:42] Yeah. [laughter] Please. -I will shoot him a message. Yeah. [laughter]

[17:55] But now it was time to try and meet the best footballers in the planet We're literally walking into the Ballon d'Or and I want 16 of the biggest footballers in the world's signatures.

[18:12] And the first footballer I saw arrive was actually Ademola Lookman. Yeah, he messaged me. -How are you doing, man? Thank you so much.

[18:25] Yes, man. Congratulations. You are the 85th footballer we've met.

[18:41] It's what YouTube is, man. And then I spotted Speed. Speed, will you sign this? -Oh, look at that Play Button.

[18:54] Go on, go on. -Let me sign a Play Button, man. We're trying to meet 100 footballers in 100 hours. Yeah, I'm a footballer.

[19:08] Portugal. -Appreciate it, man. I'm not going to tell him he's not. He plays for Portugal, doesn't he?

[19:20] footballers on this side of the barrier, [laughter] Yeah, every footballer. -I will get them over.

[19:33] And it didn't take long for me to meet my first female footballer of the video. Would you sign my plaque for me, please?

[19:45] And you're number 87. Thank you very much. And then I added Atlanta manager and former player Gian Piero Gasperini.

[20:00] Because I'm trying to get up to meet 100 footballers or ex-footballers in 100 hours. Have a good night.

[20:12] Four! We are a quarter of the way through our night's goal. And although Argentina players Emi Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho

[20:25] which meant there must be a huge footballer arriving. We'll find out. Do you think that's like the full Man City team or something?

[20:41] It was Barcelona players and now I just needed to try and meet them. There's so much competition to get this thing signed. Lamine, will you sign my plaque?

[20:57] I'm shouting at a 17-year-old and didn't even get a reward. and although it looked like he was going to walk straight past,

[21:09] And after taking selfies with everyone, it was time to meet him. Thank you so much. Oh, no!

[21:24] And the next player to try and meet was Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo but sadly walked off before I could meet him.

[21:36] Drogba is over there and I would kill for a signature. And when Drogba had finished his interview But he left before I could meet him, too.

[21:52] You get it through. And as the fans went crazy outside, the security had pushed us back so I couldn't meet PSG players Vitinha or João Neves.

[22:04] No, no! 1 million. Ah! [laughter] Love to do it! Look at this.

[22:16] He didn't need to. was being interviewed as Savinho walked on by without stopping. But then Figo came over to add his signature to my plaque.

[22:31] Thank you very much. I've just spotted Djibril Cisse over there. But then Rodri arrived.

[22:44] I was going to get another chance to meet him in a few hours. But one player who was just chilling was Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer Congratulations.

[22:58] Nice to meet you. Thank you. And that's Hakan Çalhanoğlu.

[23:11] Oh. Thank you, man, I appreciate it. Hakan Çalhanoğlu puts us on 93.

[23:24] Djibril, thank you so much. Oh, thank you, my man. 94.

[23:37] I'm at the Palindrome. But my excitement wore off when my friends told me the footballers they had met. [laughter] And now the ceremony was underway,

[23:54] and which players I had still to meet. it made me realize just how many players I hadn't met yet. watching Yamal win his award

[24:09] my attention turned back to my challenge. I'm going to try and get them on the way out. World Cup winner, Marcel Desailly.

[24:24] It's lovely to meet you. -How're you? Can I actually ask you to do something a bit bigger? Yes! -Thank you so much.

[24:40] Yeah. And I'm trying to get lots of footballers' signatures And once I made my way downstairs, Emi Martinez right there.

[24:54] Thank you so much. Congratulations! Thank you sir! Absolute hero. Best goalie in the world. What!

[25:08] And now there were footballers everywhere, Fabio Capello, let's go. Can I ask you to do me the honour of signing this?

[25:21] You having a good night? Number? -That's you.

[25:33] And as I said goodbye to Capello and Gasperini, Oh, another one. Sure. -Thank you so much.

[25:47] Yes, it was nice. Thank you. Lovely to meet you. I'm John. And just like that, I spotted two more footballers in the distance.

[26:03] We're about to complete the challenge with eight minutes to spare. Our last two, I'm going to wait for them to come to me. Come on! If I lose them now, I'll be gutted.

[26:15] Is he here? Harry. Right, we need to run. We need to run the other way.

[26:28] Oh, mate, we lost them there on the other side. Is that de la Fuente, the Spain coach? Thank you so much.

[26:42] Thank you so much. The pen's running out. Nice to meet you.

[26:54] And we have one more to go. But who would be the 100th player that I would meet? But although I couldn't meet Yamal,

[27:06] The Ballon d'Or winner's right there. So I stood back and waited for my turn to meet the Ballon d'Or winner, But then, sadly, I watched him limp off.

[27:22] I need this game. only needing to meet one more footballer to complete my challenge.

[27:36] Oh, thank you so much. [laughter] I swear. You're number 100.

[27:48] What an achievement. Oh, we did it. Subscribe.