Shakira has made her Copa America debut at the halftime show of the Argentina vs. Colombia game last night (July 14). Check out the footage below.
The singer has played at several sporting events, including the World Cup, the Super Bowl and NBA All-star, but yesterday’s performance at the Hard Rock Stadium marks her first at the oldest international football tournament.
It’s the first time a football game has included a halftime show that was longer than 15 minutes. This year’s edition of Copa America was held in the US, where extensive half-time performances are standard.
Alejandro Domínguez, the president of CONMEBO, previously said in a statement: “Shakira is an extraordinary South American star who has dazzled the entire world.
“Her songs are sung and danced to in every corner of the planet, turning her art into a global phenomenon that crosses borders and is enjoyed by millions of people.”
He continued: “We are sure that her performance at the Copa América USA 2024 will enhance the message of healthy passion and unity through sport,” although not everyone was as enthused by the multi-Grammy Award-winning artists’ performance.
Colombia’s head coach Nestor Lorenzo has come out and criticised CONMEBOL’s decision to extend halftime because “players can get cold”, although he did preface his complaints by saying “Shakira is great” in a news conference.
Although her performance took less than 10 minutes, with the time it took to set up and clear off the field, the typical 15-minute halftime slot was bumped up to 25 minutes during Argentina and Colombia’s match.
During the show, Shakira was flanked by 12 dancers and performed her hits ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, ‘Te Felicito’, ‘TQG’ and ‘Puntería’ – telling the fans: “Te Quiero, Colombia!” (I love you, Colombia) between songs.
Her recent single ‘Puntería’, featuring rapper Cardi B, was also chosen as the official song of TelevisaUnivision’s 2024 Copa América CONMEBOL coverage.
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