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Red Bull UAE brought music and footbal together last Friday with a friendly match between international DJs and UAE-based content creators at Precision Football, Ibn Battuta. Part warm-up, part bragging-rights battle, the game saw artists step away from the decks and creators swap cameras for boots.

Among the DJs was Francis Mercier, who was in town for a performance at Ushuaïa Dubai Harbour. Partnering with Red Bull, the Haitian DJ jumped at the chance to do something different before showtime. “I really love to play football,” Mercier said before the game. “Red Bull was open to it, and there were some cool creators from the UAE who wanted to play. So we thought. let’s do something fun before the show.”

Football, it turns out, is more than just a casual hobby for Mercier. Growing up in Haiti, he was drawn to the Brazilian national team, a tradition shared by many Haitians. Legends like Ronaldo R9, Cafu, Rivaldo, and Fernandinho shaped his love for the game. On the pitch, Mercier prefers a midfield role, where he can control the tempo and put in the hard running, something he clearly enjoys as part of his fitness routine.

Despite being fresh off a flight from Ibiza, Mercier was confident. “DJs versus content creators — the DJs are going to win,” he laughed, predicting a high-scoring game. Win or lose, the match was about energy and setting the tone for the weekend.

On the opposing side was Ramy Hamdan, a Dubai-based travel content creator with a football background of his own. Having played club football in Lebanon during his teens, Hamdan brought experience and confidence to the creators’ team. “I used to play with my team before, they’re my friends,” he said. “We have chemistry.”

While he’s traditionally a right back, Hamdan had his sights set on goals this time around. “Today I want to play left wing, striker. I want to score,” he said, smiling.

The Red Bull initiative highlighted Dubai’s unique ecosystem where global artists and local creators can meet and compete. As Mercier put it, the city is full of energy and opportunity. On this pitch, football just happened to be the common language.

Both Mercier and Hamdan registered their names on the scoresheet, but it was the latter's team that ended up winning the friendly bout. The final score was 8-5.

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