If you've watched the Sidemen's Guess the Footballer video featuring Erling Haaland, you know the format: one player secretly receives a mystery footballer, and their partner has to figure out who it is by asking yes/no questions. No peeking. No searching names. Just pure football knowledge, rapid-fire questions, and the pressure of a ticking clock.
The video hit millions of views, and judging by the comments, practically everyone immediately wanted to play it themselves. The good news: you can, completely free, on one phone, in under a minute.
What Is the Sidemen Football Guessing Game?
The format the Sidemen played is known by several names, Guess the Footballer, Guess the Mystery Footballer, or simply the football 20 questions game, but the core mechanic is always the same:
- Player A secretly sees a footballer's name (or a silhouette with stats).
- Player B asks yes/no questions to figure out who it is.
- The fewer questions it takes, the sharper your football knowledge.
The Sidemen's video added celebrity guests, including Haaland himself as a subject, which made for genuinely incredible moments when the person being guessed was sitting right there. But the format works just as brilliantly between two friends on a sofa. That's exactly what Guess the Player is built for.
How the Sidemen Played It
In their Guess the Footballer video (and in Chunkz & Fuad Cadani's Guess the Mystery Footballer series), the setup is simple:
- A celebrity guest holds a card with a footballer's name, they can't see it, only the audience can.
- Other players give one-word or one-sentence clues.
- The guest asks clarifying questions: "Is this person alive?" "Have I heard of them?" "Do they play in England?"
- Everyone watches the penny drop in real time.
The magic is in the pressure and the reveal. You know something the guesser doesn't, which makes every near-miss and wild guess enormously entertaining for everyone watching.
Play the Same Game Right Now, Free
Our free version takes that exact format and turns it into a sleek two-player duel you can play on one phone, no setup needed:
Step 1: Open the Game
Head to Guess the Player, no download, no account. Load it in your browser right now. You can even add it to your home screen as a PWA for instant access next time.
Step 2: Player 1 Secretly Sees Their Footballer
One player holds the phone and taps to reveal their secret footballer. They see the name, club, nationality, position, and a handful of career stats, then they flip the phone down so their partner can't see. The game picks a footballer at random from a database of hundreds of current stars and classic legends.
Step 3: Player 2 Asks Yes/No Questions
Now the guessing begins. Player 2 fires questions, one at a time:
- "Is this player European?" → Yes
- "Do they currently play in the Premier League?" → Yes
- "Are they a striker?" → No
- "Have they won the Champions League?" → Yes
- "Are they a centre-back?" → Yes
Player 1 answers honestly. A chess clock runs on both sides, ask or answer too slowly and your time drains away.
Step 4: Make the Guess
When Player 2 is confident, they name the footballer. If they're right, they win. If they're wrong, or their clock runs out, Player 1 wins. Swap roles and go again.
Why the Chess Clock Makes It So Much Better
The classic version of this game played at a party often drags: one person overthinks every question, the other takes forever to answer. The chess clock in Guess the Player assigns each player their own time bank. Your clock ticks when it's your turn, whether you're asking or answering. Both players stay sharp and accountable.
Rounds typically last 3–6 minutes. The pressure creates the same kind of electric moments the Sidemen get in their videos, except it's happening right there between you and your mate.
Questions to Ask When You're Completely Stuck
If you have absolutely no idea who the footballer is, work through these in order:
- Continent, "Is this player from Europe? South America? Africa?" Eliminates a huge chunk.
- Position, "Are they a goalkeeper / defender / midfielder / forward?"
- League, "Do they play in the Premier League? La Liga? Bundesliga? Serie A?"
- Club tier, "Do they play for one of the top clubs in their league?"
- Trophies, "Have they won a World Cup? A Champions League? A domestic title?"
- Age, "Are they under 25? Over 30? Retired?"
Six questions in and you should have a shortlist of 5–10 players. From there, start naming the biggest names in that bracket and narrow it down fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this exactly the game the Sidemen played? The format is identical, one player holds a secret footballer, the other guesses using yes/no questions. The Sidemen had celebrity guests and studio production; our version gives you the same game engine for free on one phone.
Can I play in a group? Absolutely. The game is designed as a 1v1 duel, but with a group you take turns challenging each other. The audience watching knows the answer, which adds the same "crowd knows something you don't" energy from the Sidemen videos.
Where do the footballers come from? The database covers hundreds of current top-flight players from the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1, plus a growing archive of legends. Updated regularly.
Is there an official Sidemen Guess the Footballer app? There's no official download from the Sidemen, they played the format live in their video. The free game you're looking for is right here.
Do I need to download anything? No. It runs entirely in your browser. On mobile you can add it to your home screen for one-tap access, but there's nothing to install from an app store.
Play the Football Guessing Game Free Right Now
You know the format. You've watched the Sidemen play it. Now it's your turn.
Also read: How to Play Guess the Player · Play Spyfall free · Play Mafia online · See all our party games
