The all-star gaming afternoon saw football legends, up-and-coming talent, female players, and celebrities took to the pitch.

In a thrilling and star-studded afternoon, the game of football shined on the field of Expo Sports Arena when celebrities came together for the UAE All-Stars tournament hosted at Expo 2020 Dubai on January 8.

The all-star gaming afternoon saw football legends, up-and-coming talent, female players, and celebrities taken to the pitch.

The UAE Football Association, in collaboration with Expo 2020, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Cares, Football for Peace and Dubai Sports Council, in collaboration with Expo 2020 brought together legends from the world of football, alongside famous local and international personalities, to participate.

Turing the afternoon into a win, former Arsenal and France footballer Bacary Sagna led his team to victory at the first-ever UAE All-Stars Tournament opposite Patrice Evra formerly of Manchester United and France, Míchel Salgado, former Real Madrid and Spain footballer Samir Nasri, a former Arsenal and France player.

Each captain of the team put together a 15-player squad, including eight football legends, stars, and celebrities, three representatives of Expo’s pavilions, two rising stars and two additional players, with a minimum of three female players per squad.

With seven-a-side games lasting 15 minutes each, the teams progressed through six group matches to the semi-finals and final, which saw Team Bac, led by Sagna, face off against Evra’s Team Patman. That match ended in a 2-2 draw full-time, with Team Bac eventually winning 3-2 after a nail-biting, sudden-death penalty shoot-out.

After the final, His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the Dubai Sports Council, and His Excellency Mohammed Hazam Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Emirates Football Association, distributed medals to the first- and second-place winners and handed a trophy to the winning team.