Football's Dearest Friend

We speak with Hublot’s newly appointed Honorary President Ricardo Guadalupe about his and the brand’s relationship with football following its fifth tournament as Official Timekeeper for the UEFA EURO 2024.

-  SUFFIAN HAKIM

OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS as CEO of Hublot, Ricardo Guadalupe has built himself a reputation as a champion of football and its immense influence on the world stage. Just look through his public photographs from the past dozen years - an arm around Pelé, the king of football, with José Mourinho (and his arm around Guadalupe), and creating a hand stack with Pelé and Diego Maradona. In addition, there are pictures of him with Kylian Mbappé visiting the Hublot manufacture, standing handsomely with David Trezeguet in the newly refurbished Hublot store in Marina Bay Sands, and holding a jersey with David Luiz, smiling midconversation with Rio Ferdinand.

As a football fan, I am both jealous and awed.

Under his leadership, Hublot's strong partnership with the football world is represented aptly on the banner 'Hublot Loves Football'.

With this, Hublot's association with football is far-reaching. Aside from being the Official Timekeeper of the European Championships since the 2008 tournament, aptly co-hosted by Hublot's native Switzerland, the maison has also served as Official Timekeeper for the FIFA World Cup since the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

In an interview with Sport360 earlier this year, Guadalupe noted, "Hublot was the first luxury brand to get involved in football. It is at the heart of everything we do and is a big part of Hublot's story."