With the launch of the Club World Cup, a tournament that brought the best of European, Latin American, African and Asian club teams directly to our doorstep, we wanted to do something to cater to the large number of members who are fans of soccer/football. We also wanted to test out some concepts in the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

We thought that a partnership that leaned into what made Maxwell MOST unique, our open kitchen, was a good place to start, and that as more European soccer teams made strides to become more culturally relevant (Arsenal & Paris St Germain’s fashion labels are a good example), focusing on an element of cultural crossover was the key.

So Flavors of Football was born. Our wacky idea was to get a well known player, throw them up on stage with a chef, and have them compete.

Manchester City and Asahi believed in us from the beginning as we chose Ana Sofia Fehn to be our Chef and built a program around her ricotta gnocchi and Manchester City’s legendary player Joleon Lescott.

The goal was to bring football culture to life through a different lens: food, conversation, and connection, and well known athletes and celebs listened to Ana teach Joleon how to cook while asking him about his playing days, his diet then and now, and his family.

The event design pulled inspiration directly from Manchester City - bold blue and white colors from their brand wrapped the space - custom drink and food menus, aprons, decals in the kitchen, VIP tickets, and even walls carried the Man City mark.