Mastercard and FAB Tie Messi Rewards to UAE Card Spending

Football rewards and a virtual card

Mastercard and First Abu Dhabi Bank ran a football rewards campaign for cardholders in the UAE. Selected FAB Mastercard holders took part in a game linked to Lionel Messi, a Mastercard ambassador.

Players could win rare Messi memorabilia. The game ran on Mastercard’s Priceless platform and drew on FAB’s rewards scheme, the Mastercard network and Mastercard’s sports sponsorships.

The two companies said the campaign was designed to connect card spending more closely with what customers enjoy. They also framed it as part of a broader shift in UAE loyalty programmes, which they say are moving away from points and toward access and exclusivity.

Gina Petersen-Skyrme, senior vice president and country manager for the UAE and Oman at Mastercard, said the FAB collaboration was intended to bring football and Messi’s global appeal closer to UAE cardholders and to create exclusive experiences from everyday payments.

The campaign builds on the FAB Rewards Active Mastercard credit card. Mastercard and FAB said Messi’s role is meant to support the card’s focus on an active lifestyle. Users of the FAB app can view a virtual version of the card featuring a moving image of Messi. The companies said the moving-image virtual card feature is the first of its kind worldwide.

The campaign places a celebrity ambassador inside the payment app rather than in a separate marketing channel, linking a sponsor’s sports rights to the card itself. For banks, that can make rewards feel tied to daily use; for Mastercard, it extends sponsorship into the product interface.