This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 27, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: After winning Carlsberg’s “Play on Pitch” contest, five winners from Malaysia are on their way to France to watch the semi-finals live in Lyon, France, as well as experience what it is like to be a football star by playing on the pitch at Stade de Lyon, the official stadium of the Uefa Euro 2016™ semi-final.

They are among 100 winners worldwide who will get the chance to experience the game like never before, said Carlsberg, the official beer sponsor of the tournament, in a statement.

The five “Play on Pitch” winners — Raymond Chew Fook Yuen, Gan Tze Keong, Rathakrishnan, Tan Boon Foi and Dr Ling Shih Gang, will go on the trip with a friend each. All 10 will also receive personalised soccer kits, access to locker rooms and 5-star hospitality at the stadium.

“Being able to travel to France and witness the Uefa Euro match live with my wife is a dream come true. Thank you Carlsberg for making this happen!” said Gan.

Echoing Gan’s sentiments, Chew said: “Meeting the football legends is what I am most excited about — I really hope I can meet Zinedine Zidane!”

Over two billion viewers are expected to tune into Uefa Euro 2016™ live matches, with each game attracting over 130 million viewers.