Xavi surprises fan at Champions League final with extraordinary Heineken competition

Quiz Competition & Tournament Quizzes Xavi surprises fan at Champions League final with extraordinary Heineken competition News By Mark White published 1 June 2026 Champions League sponsor Heineken provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Saturday's final, thanks to the Fans Have More Friends campaign When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Heineken) Copy link Facebook X Pinterest Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The Champions League final is no different: every stadium in the world has the odd solo seat away from the group. So competition sponsors Heineken decided to remind one fan sitting in a solitary seat away from the rest of the Puskas Arena during Saturday's final that, as per their latest campaign slogan, fans really do have more friends. When Forest Robinson won a competition courtesy of The Padded Seat to watch Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal on penalties, he certainly wasn't banking on Xavi Hernandez turning up to greet him. You may like Heineken’s ‘Oslo’ Women's Champions League takeover in London 'It's brilliant for the fans' No Lay's No Game ambassador Thierry Henry tells FourFourTwo exclusively about the new campaign getting supporters closer to the stars than ever Arsenal's Champions League Final ticket allocation is a huge disappointment Xavi: “This shows the power football has to connect people who may only have met because of the match” Fans Have More Friends with Heineken (Image credit: Heineken)In one of the most extraordinary competition twists that FourFourTwo have seen for a while, Heineken located the most isolated viewing spot from the Puskas for poor Forest to sit along… but not for long. As if by magic, Xavi appeared to greet the competition winner, before the pair were whisked off to the Skybox for the best seats in the house. PSG beat Arsenal in the final (Image credit: Carl Recine/Getty Images)“As a player, some of my best memories in football came from sharing big moments with teammates and fans,” Xavi said. “The Champions League Final is the biggest stage in club football, and you never know who the game might bring you together with along the way. It was special to help Heineken turn Forest’s seat into an experience they will never forget, and to show the power football has to connect people who may only have met because of the match.” Get the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Yeah, we're really hoping the pair remain mates. In the end, PSG triumphed over Arsenal on penalties, with the French giants retaining their trophy – with Xavi actually present at the Gunners' last Champions League final defeat two decades ago as part of the Barcelona contingent that night. “A few years ago, I went to a game with friends, but we were split up in the stadium and I found myself sitting alone among supporters of another team,” Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken, said. Xavi is a legend of the game (Image credit: Getty Images)“What could have felt like an isolated experience became one of the best I have ever had in a stadium, because I was completely swept up in the passion, humour and energy of the fans around me.” With a final attendance of just over 67,000, a memorable moment began with just a solo seat: fans really do have more friends than they think… TOPICS Champions League Mark WhiteSocial Links NavigationContent EditorMark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer. 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