On March 21, with 85 days to go before the first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ kicks off, Hublot brought together friends of the brand to celebrate the beautiful game of football in a Match of Friendship during Baselworld 2018. On April 15, with 60 days to go before the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, the brand joined hands with its UAE partner Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons to bring together friends of the brand and regional football players for a return game after the tie score at Basel Two.
After the gardens of the Palais Royal in Paris and Hall 4 at Baselworld, it was at the feet of the world’s tallest building -Burj Khalifa- and overlooking the world’s biggest fountain, The Dubai Mall Fountain, that the Swiss watchmaker blew the whistle to start the special game held in this original location. True to its motto “First, Unique, Different”, Hublot invited Brand Ambassador Pelé to coach his first football team in Dubai, for this game held at the Dubai Opera Hanging Garden which saw action for the first time since their inauguration. Friend of the Brand, Marcello Lippi, managed the opposing team.
Everything was in place, from the 4th official’s panel to the recently unveiled Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ watch that gave a live demonstration of its functions. Hublot’s smart technology gave the referee notifications from Goal Line Technology live throughout this Match of Friendship, just as it will during the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.
Prior to the big kick-off, the crowd was surprised by skydivers sporting the UAE flag as well as the Hublot and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons emblems appearing in the sky. The trio performed aerial routines before landing by the football pitch.
According to protocol, the two teams exchanged pennants at the start of the game. Going beyond pure ritual, this was a symbol of a friendly game held under the banner of friendship. At half-time, a freestyle football demonstration confirmed that anything can be done with a football. At the end of the game, the spirit and contagious energy of football was kept alive at a stadium-fever inspired cocktail reception at the same iconic location, where guests mingled with the players and met some of their favourite football figures. The evening was followed by a private dinner at Sean Connolly, with the Hublot and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons teams, the players and friends.
The Match of Friendship
- 30’ of game time
- 2x 15’ with a 10’ half-time break
- 2 Coaches
- Pelé
- Marcello Lippi
- 2 Teams
- 10 Legends and Stars from the world of football
- 1 International referee
- Ali Bujsaim
- 1 Master of ceremony
- Tom Urquhart
- 1 Watch
- Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™
The teams
- Pelé’s team
Dida, Robbie Keane, Serginho, Marcel Desailly, Majed Hassan
- Marcello Lippi’s team
Marco Amelia, Marco Materazzi, Gianluca Zambrotta, Christian Karembeu, Michel Salgado
