Football is one of the biggest passions of the Portuguese people. This rings true for people residing in Portugal, but even more so for the ones who live and work abroad, as the sport allows them to remain connected to their beloved country.

The Football Portuguese Federation (FPF) and Samsung Portugal decided to bring them even closer by taking four Portuguese nationals into the pitch during a friendly match of the Portugal national team on March 25, ahead of the UEFA European Football Championship 2016.

All four participants were able to be in the stadium, despite their conflicting work schedules or geographic locations. In fact, some of them were very far from Leiria, where the match took place. One was even in Paris, almost 1,700 kilometres away from all the action.

Samsung Gear VR enabled this entirely new experience, paying great attention to the smallest of details.

The minute the Portuguese players entered the pitch, all four participants also stepped out onto the grass, getting a better view of the action than any of the football fans at the stadium. Samsung broadcast this moment live, breaking the barriers of time and distance.

The most touching moment came when the participants, along with Cristiano Ronaldo and the other stars of the National Team, sang “A Portuguesa,” the Portuguese National Anthem, side by side.

As official sponsor of the Portuguese Football Federation, Samsung powered this special event, proving that “impossible” is not an option when technology is involved. In doing so, the FPF and Samsung were able to bring 11 million Portuguese people closer to the 11 players that will defend the nation’s colors during the UEFA Euro 2016 in France in June.

The Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) has announced it has teamed up with Samsung Electronics to allow its staff to compile and file official league match reports using Samsung tablets.

Until recently, official league staff had to fill out forms by hand and then fax copies to the league official board, meaning they reached their targets long after matches had ended. And when you consider that there are 42 teams in Portugal’s top two professional leagues, this process entailed a pretty significant amount of paperwork.

As of February this year, all that has changed. Samsung has helped the LPFP to digitize its operations with e-Liga, an electronic system for reporting on matches comprising tablets and a custom-made app.

“This application is a technological leap that helps us to provide better service to all clubs and all their fans. It is a truly innovative system that sets us apart from what we did in the past.” said LPFP President Pedro Proença.