If you missed all of the exciting things that happened on the first week of the BudX FIFA Fan Festival, then read all of the latest news below to catch up!
The opening of BudX
The doors had finally opened for the much-awaited BudX FIFA Fan Festival in the middle of Dubai Harbour. With a picturesque backdrop, football fans from all over the world as well as locals flocked to the harbour to celebrate the many festivities that were happening inside.
The spacious seating area was filled with friends and families who wore their national shirts to support the countries they are cheering for. A delicious selection of festival food, including burgers, popcorn, nachos, and more was served with drinks being topped up before every new game.
Qatar and Ecuador were the first to open the World Cup games. Influencers such as Peter Barron, Ghaith Marwan, Ibrahim Almarrawi, Islam Afro, Kindy Man, Ramy Hamdan, Ahmad Blaibleh, Feras Abo Shaar, Maram Aldahbi, Nasohmalas, Rand Hubbi, and Tana Boshoff were seen in attendance seated in the comfortable ITP Live VIP Lounges. The view from the lounges overlooked the fan festival and has spectacular views of the large screen placed in front of the seafront.
The opening for the FIFA World Cup was powerful and BudX showed the impact of the opening through an immersive experience, allowing fans to feel the real football atmosphere. White Dubai launched their Pure White Dubai pop-up exclusively at BudX FIFA Dubai with line-ups from Tinie Tempah and ASAP Feg.
3 cheers for England
Fans were on the edge of their seat for the England vs Iran match. But at the end of the game, England had won 6-2, giving them a brilliant chance to move forward to the finals. Bellingham scored in the 35th minute at only 19 years of age, making his World Cup debut this season start off with a great bang. Raheem Sterling and Saka increased England’s chances with 3 goals and Saka gave England another win with another goal. Grealish also showed the fans what he is made of after hitting the ball at the back of the net. It was not enough for Iran with them only scoring 2 goals, but the fans at BudX still cheered on and enjoyed the vibe around them.
Saudi Arabia – the underdogs
The whole world knew about Saudi Arabia winning against Argentina as a public holiday was announced to mark their win. Although the win may have not been expected, the crowd at BudX was ecstatic, singing and dancing with one another and overjoyed with the outcome. Watch Kindy Man celebrate with Ahmad Blaibleh and Ramy Hamdan in his IG posts!
Wins for France, Germany, and Spain
Cheers to France, Germany, and Spain as they won their first matches this 2022 World Cup.
Cristiano becomes the first man to score in 5 World Cups
There was much controversy with Cristiano Ronaldo in his interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan as he spoke about his time at the reputable football club, Manchester United. Although Ronaldo’s exit from Man U was confirmed earlier this week, he managed to show everyone the quality of his game as he bagged himself a goal making him the first man to score in 5 World Cups so far. It was amazing to see so many Portuguese fans at BudX routing for their country and celebrating with others as they cheered the 3-2 win over Ghana.
2nd half win for Brazil
Tensions were high at the Fan Festival as Brazillian fans and Serbian fans had their eyes glued to the screen waiting intensely for a goal. After the first half of the game, Brazil managed to score two goals with the crowd at BudX celebrating with joy.
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