At first glance, Lisa Zimouche’s Instagram account might not seem all that different from her peers.
She has posts about her travels, ones that show off her fashion sense and, of course, some with her friends and family.
A closer look, however, reveals her deeper connection to football and one of the big reasons why she has amassed more than 1.9 million followers.
Her videos show that Zimouche, 22, is an incredibly skilled freestyle footballer.
Whether it’s kicking around a ball in high heels or showing off against other top-tier athletes, the French-Algerian has impressed followers around the world.
Thanks to her talent, Zimouche's latest project has her collaborating with Nokia for a new smartphone in a clever marketing campaign with Brazilian football great Roberto Carlos. In it, the duo show off their football skills using the smartphone as their target, proving how sturdy it is as it repeatedly survives their damage.
“We did some great stuff, that was just a great day of shooting. That was the first time I was with a friend and they told me I can do whatever I wanted with the phone,” Zimouche tells The National with a laugh.
Following her passion
Zimouche's love for the sport began at a young age after watching French superstar Zinedine Zidane. She picked up the sport herself and began training with the Paris Saint-Germain women’s youth team as a teenager.
However, it was in 2010 that she first came across freestyle football and was mesmerised by how liberating it looked. She describes it as the perfect mix between sport and art.
“When I started playing street football when I was younger, I always knew [I wanted to perform tricks more than anything]. I was the kind of the person with a lot of skills, some which aren’t even needed for the game, but I just wanted to do it,” she says.
“What I love about freestyle is that there’s no pressure, no one to tell you what to do, there are absolutely no rules.”
Eventually, she chose to leave the club, instead focusing on freestyle football.
She took part in the Red Bull Street Style World Final 2012 and was named the World Panna Female Champion in 2014.
Championing for equality
When Zimouche first began her journey, she was one of the few women in the world of freestyle football.
She has found ways to stand out, with videos showing off her impressive skills going viral.
Such was the case in 2017, when Paris Saint-Germain uploaded a video that showed her meeting their under-19 and under-17 players and surprising them with her skills.
In the clip, she dribbles around, moves the ball from her feet to her shoulders and even gets in a few nutmegs (a football term meaning to pass the ball intentionally between an opposing player's legs). The video has more than eight million views.
These days, she has challenged herself by taking on some of football’s biggest stars, including Paul Pogba, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr.
She has also shown off her skills against the likes of former Olympian Usain Bolt and singer Drake.
Despite all the attention she has received over the past few years, Zimouche remains committed to growing the sport and being a champion for equality.
She hopes to help other women feel more comfortable, and for those looking to follow in her footsteps, she has simple advice.
“Whatever you're doing, be passionate. The passion will help you work hard. It won't feel like work or practice, because you're just passionate,” she says. “So keep learning stuff and be positive and you will get through your challenges.”
