Young Egyptian Football Fan becomes UEFA Champions League Mascot Thanks to Mastercard

June, Cairo - Badraldeen Ahmed Abdelsalam, an Egyptian boy with a passion for football, has been given the opportunity of a lifetime and became the first Egyptian mascot at the UEFA Champions League. This price less experience was made possible for him, thanks to Mastercard.

Dedicated to encouraging youth empowerment in all fields of life,Mastercard is proud to have sent the first Egyptian mascot to walk the stadium with global footballers at the final match of UEFA Champions League in Madrid. As the official sponsor of the sporting tournament, the payments technology leader offered Egyptian cardholders the chance to win a surprise ticket simply by using their Mastercard debit and credit cards for everyday payments.

Mohamed Assem, Mastercard’s Country Manager for Egypt said: “Enabling people to pursue their passions through priceless experiences is what we work towards every day at Mastercard; and in Egypt, there is little that people are more passionate about than football. We are incredibly excited to give Badraldeen this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and are pleased to see him standing on the same platform as his role models. By tapping into the passions of Egyptians, we will continue to innovate in the way we engage with consumers in the country, and make day-to-day digital payments simple, secure and rewarding.”

Badraldee nwas given a priceless surprise - a ticket to the UEFA Champions League final match between Liverpool F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., where he got the opportunity to walk onto the pitch alongside some of the game’s biggest stars before UEFA Champions League matches.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be able to see the UEFA Champions League live, let alone walk the stadium with my hero! Thank you Mastercard for making my dream come true and giving me this priceless experience. I can’t wait to share this moment with my family and friends,” said Badraldeen Ahmed Abdelsalamon his experience.

Mastercardhas a long-standing involvement with the football community and continues to be a strong advocate of the importance of diversity and inclusion through partnerships that promote good governance and integrity in world sport such as the UEFA Champions League sponsorship. The sponsorship is a great opportunity for Mastercard to directly connect fans across the world to their passion while bringing them closer to the action. As this year marks Mastercard’s 24th anniversary as an official sponsor, the company continues to offer children from around the world priceless experiences to become Player Mascots.