With 85 days to go before the first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ kicks off, Hublot brought together the friends of the brand to celebrate the beautiful game. A Match of Friendship. Two one-off teams for an encounter that all football fans could have only dreamed of. True to its motto “First, Unique, Different”, Hublot invited Usain Bolt to play in his first game of football. The world sprinting champion, who is a football lover, put his feet to the service of José Mourinho’s team. Diego Maradona managed the opposing team. The match was refereed by Nicola Rizzoli and his Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ smart watch. There are some sporting moments in history that live on forever and Hublot knows better than anybody how to create these moments!

Hall 4 at Baselworld turned into a football pitch
After the gardens of the Palais Royal in Paris, it was at the Mecca of the watch-making world — where Hublot unveiled its Football watch dedicated to the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ — that the Swiss watchmaker blew the whistle to start this special game held in this original location.

The format for a legendary game

1 Match	:	The Match of Friendship
30’ of game time	:	2 x 15’ with a 10’ half-time break
2 Coaches	:	Diego Maradona, José Mourinho
2 Teams	:	18 Legends and Stars from the world of football
1 International referee	:	Nicola Rizzoli
2 Masters of ceremonies, 2 Friends of the brand	:	Michel Pont, Alan Shearer
1 Watch	:	The Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™

Hublot inspired Baselworld, the players and the public with the passion for real sport, the beautiful game that unites us all. The format for a legendary game bringing together stars from the world of football and Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, under coaches Diego Maradona and José Mourinho.

Maradona’s team
Tino Asprilla, Roberto Carlos, Hernan Crespo, Gianni Infantino, Christian Karembeu, Marco Materazzi, Gaizka Mendieta, Angelo Peruzzi and David Trezeguet.

José Mourinho’s team
Usain Bolt, Vitor Baía, Stéphane Chapuisat, Marcel Desailly, Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Patrick Kluivert, Richard Orlinski and Alexei Smertin.

Everything was in place, from the 4^th official’s panel to the official FIFA World Cup™ mascot, Zabivaka and the recently unveiled Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ watch that gave a live demonstration of its functions. Hublot’s smart technology gave international referee Nicola Rizzoli notifications from Goal Line Technology live throughout this Match of Friendship, just as it will during the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.

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: a performance from the “Freestyle Football” group, made up of 5 Polish football free stylers with incredible skills, presented an extract from their show that has already toured the world.

At the end of the game, the spirit and contagious energy of football was kept alive with the Cuban hip hop of the group Orishas who set the pitch alight, before DJ Teddy-O—another friend of the brand— spun the decks to produce his mix for the evening.

Players, coaches, legends, united in the same, single spirit — that of love for football. A team of 16 football stars.

Stanislas Cherchesov – the coach who has prepared the national team of the World Cup’s host country
His last FIFA World Cup™ was in 2002. USSR Champion, Winner of the USSR Cup, Champion of Russia, 3 Times Champion of the Austrian Football Bundesliga, Champion of the Ekstraklasa League, USSR’s Best Goalkeeper and Russia’s Best Goalkeeper. The dream of every coach: to win. The ultimate dream of every coach: to win in their own country.

Didier Deschamps – is 2018 his year?
Player, Captain, Coach, he was nominated by FIFA as one of the best living players. His results have earned him the distinction of best coach of the year on two occasions, and best coach in League 1. He won the FIFA World Cup™ in 1998, and took France into the 1⁄4 finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ and the final of UEFA EURO 2016.

Marcel Desailly – “The Rock”
With his track record, one of the most well-rounded in French football, he has been one of the pillars of the French team, and that nation’s 3^rd most capped player. He has won both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup twice, in 1993/1994 and 1995/1999 respectively. On his wrist, he’ll definitely be wearing the blue of Les Bleus; with them, he won the FIFA World Cup™ in 1998, the European Championships in 2000 and two FIFA Confederations Cup editions in 2001 and 2003. His track record earned him the Golden Foot Legend award in 2017.

With whistles and cards, he has witnessed the greatest victories in football and refereed almost everything... FIFA, UEFA, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League, Confederations Cup, UEFA U-17 and U-21 Championships, the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Julen Lopetegui – the former goalkeeper and coach who is now Spain’s head coach
Yellow and red will dominate on his wrist. A Champion of Spain with Real Madrid, he was victorious at the UEFA European Under-19 Championships. The hope of Spain has every intention of seeking revenge for the 1994 FIFA World Cup™.

Maradona – Le gamin d’or, devenu le maître, le Dieu du football
Maradona – “the Golden Boy” who became the master, the God of football
The architect of the Argentinean team’s victory at the FIFA World Cup™ in 1986. Scoring the winning goal, he achieved his childhood dream. The dream of children all over the world! The eternal king of Naples, who over 7 seasons gave the city 2 league titles, one Italian Cup and one UEFA Cup, remains and will remain in the hearts of the tifosi.

Roberto Martínez Montoliú – the Coach leading the Red Devils to their 13^th FIFA World Cup™ tournament
After 265 consecutive games in the English Premier League for Wigan FC and Everton FC, Roberto Martinez was appointed head coach for the Belgium national team in 2016, leading them undefeated and the first European team to qualify for their 13^th FIFA World Cup™.
Having won the FA Cup in 2013 defeating Manchester City, this Summer the FIFA World Cup™ is in his team sights. Currently one of the strongest in Europe and 5^th in the FIFA rankings his Red Devil’s will be looking to continue their strong qualifying form in Russia. They start in Group G where one of their opponents will be England - where many of the Red Devils players play in the English Premier League !

José Mourinho - Le « Special One », considéré comme le meilleur tacticien au monde
José Mourinho - the “Special One”, considered the best tactician in the world
With 2 UEFA Cups, 2 Champions Leagues, FIFA World Coach of the Year 2010 and the Ballon d’Or for coaches, he has led teams in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain to victory in their national championships and cups. He has Portugal in his heart and the best players of England in his hands, and may well connect his watch to shift between these two nations.

Juan Carlos Osorio – “El Recreacionista”, coach of “El Tri”
He began his career as conditioning coach and technical assistant at Manchester City, at Millionarios in Bogota and the New York Red Bulls. For his first World Cup, his ambition is to be the generational bridge for Mexico’s national team! Watch this space.

Pelé – the youngest player to have won a FIFA World Cup™ and the only triple champion in the world to achieve it with the Brazilian team
The UN and UNESCO ambassador has forever impacted the game of football with his unmatched performances and records. He won the world over with his memorable two goals in the 1958 FIFA World Cup™ final against Sweden, with his famous flick and again in the 1970 final, when he scored a header marking Brazil’s 100^th goal in the FIFA World Cup™. His exceptional track record is only equaled by his extraordinary humanity.

Hervé Renard – his first FIFA World Cup™
Regardless of the outcome, the first time at the world cup is always special. The French footballer, now a coach, will experience his first FIFA World Cup™ on the bench of the Moroccan team. A little nod from destiny, he qualified Morocco for the FIFA World Cup™ in a win against the Ivory Coast, which he had led to victory in 2015 by winning his 2^nd Africa Cup of Nations after having taken Zambia to the final in 2012.

Jorge Sampaoli – the coach from the Albicelestes
The former manager for Chile, who eliminated Spain and led his team into the round of 16 against Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, is preparing to experience his first World Cup alongside the Argentinean captain Lionel Messi. He led Chile to win their first Copa América in 2015 and will perhaps enable Argentina to win its 3^rd FIFA World Cup™.

Xherdan Shaqiri – will the versatile midfielder, the Rubik’s Cube of football, get another hat trick?
Under his studs, the feat of having won the double, Swiss Cup and Championship with FC Basel when he’d just joined the club that same season, then the previously unseen treble with Bayern Munich—Champions League, German Cup, and German League, and a historic hat trick during the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ for Switzerland (the 50^th in the history of the competition). He’s also the youngest-ever player to be honoured with the title of Swiss Player of the Year.

Alexeï Guennadievitch Smertin – the pitch marathon runner who likes white, blue and red
From Russia to France via England, the ex-captain of the Russian national team has always played in white, blue and red. Although he has now hung up his studs, he works for the Russian Football Union.

Gareth Southgate – the England team manager with the soul of a defender
Gareth’s heart lies with England. He has represented the team in FIFA World Cups, trained the U-21 team, and became manager of the senior men’s team in 2016 - qualifying top of the group for FIFA World Cup 2018™ in Russia. During his domestic playing career, Gareth made over 500 senior team appearances for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough. He was club captain of all three sides, winning the First Division title with Palace and the League Cup twice with both Villa and the ’Boro. Gareth Southgate was a born leader and destined to make the transition from successful player to top-flight manager when he hung up his boots in 2006.

David Trezeguet – where will the heart of the Franco-Argentinean striker lie?
Champion of France in 1998, in Italy he became the best foreign goal-scorer in the history of Juventus. He played in three FIFA World Cup™ including a victory in 1998 under the French flag. He finished his career where he began playing football, in Argentina. Perhaps he will display different shades of blue during the matches.