An Australian fan who entered a Heineken competition to attend the UEFA Champions League Final has received the ultimate surprise during the match.

Heineken was looking for a fan willing to attend one of football’s biggest nights alone – open to the experience and whoever they might meet along the way. They would be going solo, what they didn’t expect was just how alone they would be.

Forest Robinson arrived in Budapest to discover Heineken had placed him in Puskás Aréna’s most isolated spot, a single seat sitting completely on its own, high up in the stadium.

However, Robinson was soon joined by an unexpected guest: UEFA Champions League legend Xavi Hernández. A member of the Barcelona squad that faced Arsenal in the 2006 Final, Xavi appeared at Robinson’s side to reveal a hidden second seat, built seamlessly into the original – turning one of the stadium’s most isolated places into a shared space.

From there, the night opened up. Together, Robinson and Hernández were taken into Heineken’s Skybox to watch the match with fellow fans and football icons, before heading pitchside post-match to celebrate as Paris Saint-German F.C. lifted the trophy.

Robinson said: “What a dream come true to watch Arsenal in the Champions League Final. We didn’t get the result we wanted, but as Declan Rice would say … it’s not done yet. 

“Still can’t quite believe this trip came through a competition with Heineken. Really grateful for the experience, meeting Xavi and sharing a beer with one of the greats. An unforgettable couple of days.”

Hernández said: “As a player, some of my best memories in football came from sharing big moments with teammates and fans. The Champions League Final is the biggest stage in club football, and you never know who the game might bring you together with along the way.

“It was special to help Heineken turn Forest’s seat into an experience they will never forget, and to show the power football has to connect people who may only have met because of the match.”

Global Head of Heineken Brand Nabil Nasser said: “I know from experience that going to a match on your own does not mean experiencing it alone. A few years ago, I went to a game with friends, but we were split up in the stadium and I found myself sitting alone among supporters of another team.

“What could have felt like an isolated experience became one of the best I have ever had in a stadium, because I was completely swept up in the passion, humour and energy of the fans around me.

“That is the spirit behind Cheers to All Fans. Fandom gives people an instant reason to connect. Turning a solo seat into one of the most social experiences of the Final felt like a simple but powerful way to bring that idea to life, and to show that fans often have more friends around them than they think.”

The activation is part of a wider series of Heineken social experiments designed to show that fans really do have more friends. Following the Final, Heineken will continue to explore how moments at live events can connect strangers, including a pledge to upgrade more solo seats across UEFA Champions League stadia next season.

Watch highlights from Robinson’s experience below: