I was lucky to win a first-class ticket in the BBQ Golden Festa draw after entering twice. I'm happy to see the FC Barcelona match in person, which is hard to see even locally.
Meeting Mr. Kim (32) at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, at 5:15 p.m. on the 31st of last month, he said, "At first, I thought it was just a marketing tactic when I received a coupon for cheese balls." He immediately showed his winning screen on the BBQ application. Despite the hot and humid weather with a perceived temperature of 32 degrees, Mr. Kim entered the stadium with a beaming expression.
Three hours before kick-off, the area in front of the stadium was bustling with soccer fans wearing FC Barcelona or FC Seoul uniforms. Mr. Choi Young-hee (23), a fan of FC Seoul, said, "It was hard to get tickets for this match because of the BBQ promotion," but he added, "I came to cheer on our players so they won't be discouraged. I'm thinking of enjoying it well."
The friendly match held that day was a showdown between the prestigious Spanish professional soccer club FC Barcelona and FC Seoul. The Genesis BBQ Group (hereinafter BBQ), which operates the chicken franchise BBQ, launched a sports marketing project for all citizens to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Earlier, BBQ conducted a promotion from June 11 to July 27 for 47 days, providing viewing opportunities for 30,000 customers. They filled half of the Seoul World Cup Stadium, which has a capacity of 64,000 seats, with their customers and others. This included overseas franchise owners and business partners from 57 countries, as well as over 200 local customers.
Throughout the approximately two-hour match, the audience's reaction was intense, as it was the first time in 15 years that they could watch a world-class team play after 2010.
Mr. Lee (40), a franchise owner operating a BBQ store in Incheon, said, "Thanks to the 30th anniversary event, I was able to come here, and my wife and son are happy." He noted, "For self-employed individuals who spend every day doing the same thing, this event became a refreshing change for us."
Mr. Hong (50), who came with his son from Pangyo, said, "My high school son loves soccer so much that he entered the event because 'Barça' (nickname for FC Barcelona) was coming to Korea." He added, "I won a first-class ticket via the BBQ Top 20 event, and my son was overjoyed."
BBQ Chairman Yoon Hong-geun, wearing a Barcelona jersey with the number 30, symbolizing the 30th anniversary, greeted franchise owners, partners, and soccer fans. During the ceremony, Chairman Yoon said, "Our group's dream is to become the world's largest and best franchise group and to help people around the world eat and live well. It is our path for BBQ to become Korea's future and dream."
He continued, "I hope that customers become happier and enjoy a little more because of BBQ. I thank the audience for loving BBQ even more in the future, for all 50 million people."
That day, including supporters from Barcelona and Seoul, over 62,000 spectators presented a large card section performance saying 'I love BBQ (I♡BBQ)'. At halftime, a live drawing for 'Chicken Pension' was held for all viewers. Ten winners of the Chicken Pension, commemorating the 30th anniversary, received benefits to enjoy BBQ chicken for free for an extended period.
Meanwhile, in this match, FC Barcelona fielded top league players including Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal. In the 8th minute of the first half, Lewandowski scored the first goal, and six minutes later, Yamal evaded two Seoul defenders and scored an additional goal with a left-footed shot.
In response, FC Seoul, led by Jesse Lingard, a former Manchester United and England national team player, chased FC Barcelona. In the 25th minute of the first half, defender Kim Jin-su intercepted an opponent's ball on the left side of the attack and passed it to Jo Young-wook, who immediately scored with a left-footed shot. In stoppage time at the end of the first half, defender Yazan joined the attack and succeeded in scoring the equalizer.
However, just before the end of the first half, Yamal broke away from a FC Seoul defender with individual skill and scored. In the 9th minute of the second half, Andreas Christensen succeeded in scoring the team's fourth goal. In the 28th minute of the second half, Ferran Torres scored, and in the 31st minute, Gavi added another goal. FC Seoul's Jeong Han-min scored in the 40th minute of the second half, but just before the end, Torres scored another goal, resulting in a 7-3 victory for FC Barcelona.