PepsiCo-Jordan launches ‘Play with Pepsi & Meet Messi’ Football Competition

Press release

Published April 15th, 2012 - 10:56 GMT

Al Bawaba

In line with its ongoing efforts to support talented young athletes in the Kingdom, PepsiCo-Jordan - winner of the 2009 and 2011 King Abdullah II Award for Excellence - launched its latest football competition, entitled ‘Play with Pepsi and Meet Messi’, in collaboration with the Jordan Football Association (JFA). The competition, which is open to players aged 14-24 years, aims to showcase talented young football players across Jordan.

To ensure the smooth running of the competition, the JFA will provide access to stadiums in Aqaba, Irbid, Amman, Karak, Al Salt and Zarqa. The first 250 candidates to be present at the mentioned cities with 10 family-sized Pepsi bottle caps will qualify to enter the competition.

Seven participants will be selected to qualify for the final phase of the competition which is scheduled to take place in Amman. The winner of the ‘Play with Pepsi and Meet Messi’ competition will receive a fully-paid once-in-a-lifetime 5-day trip for two to Miami to meet the international football star Lionel Messi in person.

“Our decision to launch the ‘Play with Pepsi and Meet Messi’ competition corresponds with our firm belief in the importance of social activities in creating a positive way of life and reflects our genuine interest in encouraging youth to lead sound and healthy lifestyles. We at PepsiCo-Jordan expect that this competition will help uncover promising Jordanian football talent that can be honed to meet world-class standards,” commented PepsiCo-Jordan’s General Manager Eng. Nidal Hamam.

The judging panel will consist of well-known Jordanian football players Jeries Tadros and Badran Al Shakran, in addition to the JFA’s Adnan Awad and PepsiCo-Jordan’s Public Relations Manager Mohammed Arabiyat. The members of the judging panel boast longstanding experience in football and will utilize their expertise in training the players on a professional level in an effort to hone and develop their skills.

PepsiCo-Jordan signed a partnership agreement with the JFA under which it will sponsor the Association’s activities and national teams. PepsiCo-Jordan will also sponsor a local tournament, organized by the JFA and set to take place during the summer, which aims to unveil talented football players across the Kingdom.

Background Information

Pepsi Cola International

In 1965, Donald Kendall, the CEO of Pepsi-Cola, and Herman Lay, the CEO of Frito-Lay, recognized what they called “a marriage made in heaven,” a single company delivering perfectly-salty snacks served alongside the best cola on earth. Their vision led to what quickly became one of the world's leading food and beverage companies: PepsiCo.

For more than 50 years, as tastes, trends and lifestyles have changed, PepsiCo has evolved with them. Our willingness to adapt and grow has transformed our snack and soda company into a collection of global brands including Pepsi and Quaker, Gatorade and Tropicana, Frito-Lay and beyond. Today, PepsiCo is one of the world’s most-respected companies with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories and 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.