With this year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final around the corner, longtime sponsor, Heineken®, has announced an initiative that will see profits poured back into the game.
Taking place this Saturday (23rd May) in Oslo, Norway, the final will see FC Barcelona face eight-time winners, OL Lyonnes. However, due to local advertising restrictions prohibiting alcohol brand promotion, Heineken® is unable to show its support in the host city as it typically would.
Determined to show up in ‘Oslo’, instead, the beer brand is bringing the final to London and taking over Oslo Bar in Hackney; a well-known hotspot for women’s football fans. Here, Heineken® will host a watch party giving fans a place to come together and enjoy the atmosphere beyond the stadium, reinforcing the idea that the game is at its best when experienced together.
In a move designed to give back to the sport, Heineken® has partnered with five community organisations – Baller FC, Goal Diggers FC, Romance FC, Victoria Park Vixens, and Women in Football – all of which support the growth of women’s football and the people involved in it different ways; from giving more opportunities to LGBTQ+ and non binary people through to lobbying for more equality in the football industry. All proceeds from every pint poured on the night will go directly back to the partners, supporting their work to grow and sustain adult women’s football, where the friendships and communities that define the game are built.
Heineken® will also donate above and beyond the value of every pint sold, increasing the total contribution on the night. This is just one more aspect of Heineken’s commitment as one of the principle partners of the women’s game; reinforcing its long-term and ongoing commitment to the game at all levels and following its recent extension as a sponsor of the UEFA Women’s Champions League through to 2030.
Backing the initiative are former FC Barcelona player, Toni Duggan, and OL Lyonnes player Izzy Christiansen, who will attend the event and take part in a live pre-match Q&A ahead of kick-off, offering fans the opportunity to hear firsthand from one of the game’s most recognisable voices.
Rooted in Heineken®’s long-standing belief in the importance of sociability, the event is the latest output under Fans Have More Friends – the brand’s global sponsorship platform, built on the belief that fandom is one of the quickest ways to spark connection between strangers.
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Tickets are free and doors open at 4pm, with the venue open until 3:30am. Fans can come together to watch the match live on large screens and enjoy a DJ playing before and after the game.
Tickets are available now via Eventbrite and spaces on the night will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until the venue reaches capacity.
Former FC Barcelona player, Toni Duggan, said: ““Fans of women’s football are a proper community who play an integral role in supporting the growth of the game. That is why I’m so pleased to see Heineken® using the UWCL Final to bring this incredible women’s football community together. will be watching the game with lots of other fans at a special event at Oslo in London but we’ll all be in Oslo, Norway in spirit! Good luck to both sides.”
Former OL Lyonnes player, Izzy Christiansen, said: “The Women’s Champions League final is one of the biggest moments in the football calendar, so it’s amazing to see Heineken® using this as an opportunity to not only unite fans but also give back to the game. Community football is where it all starts, and the work these communities are doing is so important, so to be able to support this initiative and celebrate the final with fans at the same time is really special.”
Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken® said: “As a long-time supporter of the women’s game, it’s important for us at Heineken® to keep showing up for fans, even if not in the usual way at the stadium. So this year, we’re bringing that same spirit to Oslo, just the one in Hackney. As part of our Fans Have More Friends platform, the event brings fans together to celebrate the pinnacle of the women’s game, while every pint poured goes back to local community organisations growing and nurturing the game at all levels.”
