Nigerian football fans enjoyed the magic of the Champions League final first-hand thanks to Heineken’s unforgettable Viewing Experience across the country over the weekend. 

Heineken transformed viewing centres into vibrant celebrations as Real Madrid secured their historic 15th title with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.

“Heineken is all about celebrating the beautiful game with true fans,” said Maria Shadeko, Portfolio Manager of Premium Drinks at Nigerian Breweries Plc. “We wanted to recreate the electric atmosphere of Wembley right here in Nigeria, and judging by the incredible energy at our Watch Parties, we achieved that!”

Unbeatable fun across Lagos 

From Lagos to Port Harcourt, Abuja to Enugu, the night was alive with the spirit of football. Fans at the Jewel Aeida on Lekki, Lagos, were treated to captivating performances by music stars like Mia, Dotun, Crowd Kontroller, Big N, and the electrifying finale by Adekunle Gold. 

While the Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island pulsed with the energy of the female DJ duo, Wanni x Handi, the passionate crowd at the Lagos Terraform mirrored the energy at the Green House on Oba Adeyinka Oyinkan Ave, Ikoyi, and Stalad Gardens in Abule Egba where fans revelled in the action on giant screens while enjoying Heineken’s refreshing brews

Heineken ensured every fan experienced the best viewing experience possible, all laced with unbeatable entertainment.

Party after party across the Nation

The electrifying atmosphere wasn’t limited to Lagos.  Port Harcourt witnessed a phenomenal performance by music sensation Oxlade at Oak Park and Gardens.

Abuja residents also enjoyed an unforgettable night at Papiee’s Metropolis on Ahmadu Bello Way, where Alternate Sound kept the excitement levels soaring with their dynamic performance. 

Fans in luxurious comfort at the Transcorp Hilton on Aguyi Ironsi Street also revelled in the night’s festivities.

The magic of Heineken’s Watch Parties extended beyond major cities. Fans in Ibadan, Benin City, Enugu, and Owerri all shared in the unforgettable experience, uniting in their support for their favourite teams and celebrating Real Madrid’s monumental victory.

Heineken’s Watch Parties successfully recreated the Wembley atmosphere, proving that the beautiful game can unite and ignite joy across Nigeria. 

As Maria Shadeko states, “We are thrilled to have played a part in this historic night for football fans. Here’s to many more celebrations together!”

Real Madrid added another chapter to their already astonishing love affair with European soccer’s elite club trophy by claiming a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on Saturday as they were crowned for the 15th time.

The story of the season they finished at Wembley was about two generations of players who met, bonded as a group and connected on the pitch like a well-oiled machine to establish the second great dynasty Real spent half a century looking for.

It all started at the dawn of the competition when, during the Alfredo Di Stefano years, the Madrid side won the first five editions of the European Cup from 1956 and another in 1966.

The current crop of youngsters and seasoned veterans have matched that with a sixth title in 11 seasons, although Dani Carvajal, who scored the opener, is the only surviving starter from the side that won ‘The 10th’ a decade ago.

Vinicius Jr, hero of their 14th title triumph in Paris two years ago, on Saturday became the first Brazilian to score in two Champions League finals and is the symbol of Real’s young guns who keep proving they can prolong the club’s success.

“Why not think about ‘The Seventh’? We don’t reset, we always want more and more and more,” Carvajal said.

The defender, who matched Real great Paco Gento’s record six European Cup titles along with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and defender Nacho, was a long-time reserve who stepped up this season and ended it by lifting the trophy as team captain.

“I have never lost a final. I hope the streak continues,” he said. “To get our 15th and my sixth is a wonderful thing. As we keep winning … we end up making it harder for any other team to come close to what this club have accomplished over the history. It is something remarkable.”

REAL’S MOMENTUM

In March, Carlo Ancelotti gave a three-minute insight on managing suffering and happiness inside a changing room to explain the complexity of handling the personalities at a club constantly under pressure and held to such high standards.

He has expertly managed to keep Real’s momentum going after Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Casemiro had all long gone and with Modric, 38, becoming a rotational player in a young squad brimming with talent.

Next year Ancelotti will face another challenge by having to replace Kroos, who has just had a retirement send-off from the fans at the Bernabeu and will stop playing after the Euros.

The Germany midfielder said farewell after delivering the corner for Carvajal to score with a glancing header on Saturday.

But Ancelotti, who as a manager holds the record of most Champions League finals played (six) and won (five), did not seem too worried about the challenge.

“We will have to adapt ourselves to the players we have and try to maximize their qualities like we have always done,” he told a press conference.

“This season we’ve had a lot of problems, we’ve lost quality players. We have solved this with collective sacrifice.

“We didn’t always play at our best, but we never gave up.

“We lose a very important player for us in Kroos, but we will replace him, in a different way. We will think about how.”

-Reuters

Real Madrid will seek to win Europe’s biggest club prize for the record 15th time when they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday.

Here is how the two teams reached the final.

REAL MADRID

Group C – first place

Real 1 Union Berlin 0

Napoli 2 Real 3

Braga 1 Real 2

Real 3 Braga 0

Real 4 Napoli 2

Union Berlin 2 Real 3

Round of 16

RB Leipzig 0 Real 1

Real 1 RB Leipzig 1

Quarter-final

Real 3 Manchester City 3

Manchester City 1 Real 1

(3-4 on penalties)

Semi-final

Bayern Munich 2 Real 2

Real 2 Bayern Munich 1

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Group F – first place

Paris St Germain 2 Dortmund 0

Dortmund 0 AC Milan 0

Newcastle United 0 Dortmund 1

Dortmund 2 Newcastle United 0

AC Milan 1 Dortmund 3

Dortmund 1 Paris St Germain 1

Round of 16

PSV 1 Dortmund 1

Dortmund 2 PSV 0

Quarter-final

Atletico Madrid 2 Dortmund 1

Dortmund 4 Atletico Madrid 2

Semi-final

Dortmund 1 Paris St Germain 0

Paris St Germain 0 Dortmund 1

List of past European Cup/Champions League winners

* Denotes after extra time

– –

The following clubs have won the European Cup:

14 – Real Madrid

7 – AC Milan

6 – Bayern Munich, Liverpool

5 – Barcelona

4 – Ajax Amsterdam

3 – Manchester United, Inter Milan

2 – Benfica, Juventus, Nottingham Forest, Porto, Chelsea

1 – Celtic, Hamburg SV, Steaua Bucharest, Olympique Marseille, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, PSV Eindhoven, Red Star Belgrade, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City

The European Cup became the Champions League in 1992

Here are the latest betting odds

bet365:

Real Madrid 3/10

Borussia Dortmund 5/2

Skybet:

Real Madrid 2/7

Borussia Dortmund 5/2

Paddy Power:

Real Madrid 3/10

Borussia Dortmund 12/5

William Hill:

Real Madrid 3/10

Borussia Dortmund 12/5

The website Oddschecker says 68% of all bets on the final have been placed on Real Madrid winning.

-Reuters