Budweiser Hotel Officially Opens Its Doors With FIFA Man Of The Match

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 9, 2014  Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, officially opened the doors to the highly anticipated Budweiser Hotel by Pestana at Copacabana Beach today with a kick-off press conference and panel discussion to launch the 2014 FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser.  The award, which is determined by fan voting and will be presented after every match of the tournament, recognizes the top player who had the most significant impact or influence on their team’s performance.

During the press conference, former FIFA World Cup™ players Juliano Belletti (Brazil), Davor Suker (Croatia) and Pierre van Hooijdonk (Netherlands) shared their expert analysis, predictions and insights on players to watch and potential breakout stars for their year’s tournament. Additionally, the players revealed a redesigned Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser trophy for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

The FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser, will continue to bring football fans closer to the game that they love, as the award is determined by fan voting. In addition to voting on FIFA.com, the program will feature an all-new, Twitter voting mechanism, where, when users tap the #ManoftheMatch Tweet from @FIFAcom either online or from their mobile device, a custom Twitter Card will display featuring side by side player photos, giving users the chance to cast their vote for the Man Of The Match. Users who tap one of the photos to vote will automatically generate a Tweet with their selection.  Voting for the FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser, begins at the start of the second half of every match, closes at the final whistle, and will now be available in six languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Arabic.

As appointed by Thierry Weil, Director of FIFA Marketing, "The FIFA Man Of The Match, presented by Budweiser is an important FIFA sponsor programme which plays a key role for fan engagement during the FIFA World Cup™. Through an innovative collaboration with Budweiser we will for the first time offer fans the opportunity for social media live voting, from the start of half time to the end of the match. This illustrates our commitment to giving the fans the opportunity to be part of the sport they love."

Andrew Sneyd, Global Vice President Budweiser, said, "We are excited to officially open the doors to the Budweiser Hotel by Pestana. Our Rise As One FIFA World Cup™ campaign focuses on footballs unique ability to unite a global fans base in celebration of the game and we are thrilled to bring fans from all across the world together at the Budweiser Hotel to celebrate the beautiful game with best-in-class entertainment and experiences."

Further establishing the Budweiser Hotel as the premier destination in Rio, Budweiser has partnered with multiple world-class brands to host exclusive events and parties where Budweiser guests can soak up the sun, enjoy music, dancing, and a cold Budweiser. Select partner events include: