In case free tickets in the lower bowl of the World Cup Finals wasn't enough, David Beckham and Verizon hooked 10 fans up with a once in a lifetime experience. With about five minutes left in the first half, a representative escorted the lucky group down to the field to watch the entire halftime show as well as the first 15 minutes of the first half pitch-side.
Along with the premium viewing experience, the group got up close and personal with stars of the halftime show like Jason Sudeikis dressed as Ted Lasso and Shakira, both fresh off their performances.
One of the attendees, Mary Barnes, a 15-year old Verizon customer from Staten Island called the experience a dream come true, honoring her late grandfather who helped build her love for the game of soccer. She even wore his bracelet from 2006’s Italy World Cup victory.
“Verizon hooked it up,” Barnes said. “It means so much to be able to be here. I know [my grandfather] would have loved me being here. It means so much to be able to honor him in that way.”
That morning Barnes and the rest of the group were joined by Beckham and Roger Bennett from Men in Blazers at FIFA House across from Bryant Park in New York City for an exclusive breakfast and fireside chat. Beckham spoke about the success of this year’s World Cup, his transition from world class player to owner, and World Cup experience of his own. But unfortunately, he kept his prediction to himself.
“This final is written in the stars, and it’s going to be a special game,” Beckham said. “So, I'm not going to pick a winner, but I know deep down who I want to win.
After the chat, Beckham and Bennett made the announcement that they’d be receiving golden tickets to the pitch on top of the tickets they’d already won via Verizon’s recently launched Shine program centered on giving customers access to unique experiences across sports, entertainment, and culture.
