Football in danger of losing its magic.

Billions tune into a World Cup every four years, such is the love for the sport. So, it was surprising to discover that it was in danger of losing its magic. 1 in 2 people we spoke to felt negative about the state of the game compared to the previous year. And what surprised us the most was the notion of predictability that kept coming up in this revelation. To many, modern football has started to feel predictable and scripted: the same formations, the same kinds of players, and the same kind of tactics, with little opportunity for moments of surprise.

Football’s magic is in the unexpected.

We identified an emerging trend of fans supporting teams from lower leagues, smaller teams with less resources. For them, football isn’t about winning titles or leagues, it’s a chance for life to play out in ways never imagined. They were most excited and animated when recalling stories of the impossible and the unlikely… The super sub that scored the penalty preventing relegation. Or the underdog team that kept the league leaders at bay for 80 minutes. Although excited for it, most felt that the World Cup would be predictable too, expecting the same nations to make it to the knockout stages.

The core truth:

To fullfil the audiences desire to show how the Middle East can enrich football, we’d have to create the most unexpected football match. We’d have to show that what’s truly Priceless in football lies in the unlikely and the unexpected.

This is how we’d earn coverage and conversation.

We would host Zero G: the most unlikeliest football match ever held, at 20,000ft in zero gravity. A groundbreaking stunt.