Hublot’s legendary Match of Friendship in Dubai

It was a football match that fans would have dreamed of and never hoped to see; Hublot hosted a Match of Friendship in Dubai that had legends of the game – in an unlikely combination – thrill fans and brand aficionados…

With 60 days to go before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Hublot 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. 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 its inauguration. Pelé’s team was composed of football giants such as Dida, Robbie Keane, Serginho, Marcel Desailly, and Majed Hassan.

Friend of the Brand, Marcello Lippi, managed the opposing team, which counted Marco Amelia, Marco Materazzi, Gianluca Zambrotta, Christian Karembeu, and Michel Salgado among its team members. The match time was kept by the newly launched Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia smart watch. 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 held this special game.

Prior to the big kick-off, the crowd was surprised by skydivers, sporting the UAE flag as well as the emblems of Hublot and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, appearing in the sky. The trio performed daredevil 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 reception at the same iconic location, where guests mingled with the players and met some of their favourite football figures. The unforgettable evening was followed by a private dinner at Sean Connolly, with the Hublot and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons teams, the players, and friends.