We built a custom Portal in the Fan Zone during the World Cup in Doha, Qatar which brought together fans, players and other important global figures to discuss the power of football in shaping our society. We activated Portals from all over the world, including Gaza, Barbados, Mexico, Rwanda, Iraq, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Brazil and the United States, and brought attendees at the event into conversation with a global community of football fans. 

Conversations ranged from the game itself to the importance of climate change, the power of art and how football can overcome social exclusion. Fans were also connected to footballers at the Naki-Football Academy based in one of the largest refugee settlements in the world, Nakivale, Uganda who shared inspiring stories of their ability to form community and a sense of belonging through moments of crisis.

We surprised participants by bringing football legends like David Beckham, Wael Gomaa and Samuel Eto’o into the conversations, creating a wealth of shareable content.

Lastly, we brought Bill Gates and Malala Yousafzai into the Portal to connect with organizations in Kigali, Rwanda for exploring the challenges around global health inequities faced by marginalized communities.

The Portal was a hit for the fanzone, creating memorable experiences for thousands of fans at the World Cup and the 25 Portals which we connected to the event. FIFA was able to create meaningful dialogues around their theme of “Football United the World” and social media clips of David Beckham and Bill Gates generated massive exposure through online channels as well as creating a bevy of unique video content to be used across their own social channels and marketing.