Visa Celebrates FIFA World Cup 26 Final with Kenyan Football Fans at Nairobi Watch Party

Visa, a Worldwide Partner of the FIFA World Cup 26, brought the excitement of the tournament’s pinnacle match to Nairobi on Sunday, July 19th, hosting an unforgettable Final Watch Party at the Nairobi Street Kitchen. The event served as the grand finale to a month-long campaign that has connected Kenyan football fans with the spirit of the global tournament.

The watch party, which began at 6:00 PM, was a vibrant celebration of football culture and community. Attendees, including football enthusiasts, Visa cardholders, and representatives from partner banks and fintechs, enjoyed an evening of immersive, football-inspired activations. The atmosphere was electric, with performances from local artists and creators, interactive games, and prizes setting the stage for the highly anticipated 10:00 PM kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 26 Final.

The event was the culmination of a series of activations that have seen Visa celebrating the tournament across Nairobi over the past month, from mall activations to a homegrown community mural. The watch party was designed as a space for the community that has been part of this journey to come together and experience the final match in a world-class setting.

Senior leaders from Visa East Africa were on-site to engage with guests and media. Chad Pollock, VP & General Manager, Visa East Africa, John Njoroge, Country Manager, Kenya, Visa, and Sheila Changangu, Marketing Director, East Africa, Visa, were present to discuss Visa’s ongoing efforts to bring unique, culture-driven experiences to Kenyan football fans.

Speaking to Buzz Central, Chad Pollock, VP & General Manager, Visa East Africa, highlighted the significance of Visa’s partnership with the tournament: “For Visa to be the FIFA World Cup partner, it’s a big deal because again, sports is about bringing people together. It’s about enhancing connectivity. It’s also about showing pride for your team, for your countrymen, and in that unity, it showcases what we can achieve together.”

Pollock also emphasised how Visa enhances the fan journey beyond the stadium, from planning to everyday use: “If you’re a football fan and you want to plan the ultimate trip, you can use your card for anything. You can go online, you can book your flights, you can book your hotels. Additionally, when you get on the ground, you can make all your purchases, whether it’s for merchandise, for food, for rental cars.”

When asked about his dream five-a-side team of Kenyan business leaders, Pollock named an all-star lineup of regional CEOs. ”If I were to choose five CEOs to be on my team, without seeing anyone’s football ability or coordination level, I’d probably have to pick Kihara Maina, Regional Chief Executive Officer of I&M Group PLC; John Gachora, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NCBA Group; former Absa CEO Abdi Mohamed; and I’ll leave the fourth and fifth as wild cards for later.”

Looking ahead, the GM shared his excitement for the upcoming AFCON 2027 tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. “AFCON is happening next year, 2027 in East Africa… This is a big deal, not just for Visa, but for all of East Africa. It’s going to put East Africa on the map to a lot of the world. The excitement of having a sport competition happen across three different countries is really going to drive a lot of pride. I see a lot of travel that’s going to happen between Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya. I see a lot of people coming in from different parts of the world.“

As the final match unfolded, guests cheered on their chosen teams. Pollock, who had predicted Spain’s victory earlier in the day, was thrilled to see his forecast come true as Spain lifted the trophy. Spain emerged as champions, defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time. The event concluded with a celebration as the 2026 champions were crowned, providing a fitting end to a thrilling tournament and a memorable night for all in attendance.