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.
Itâs the first time a football game has included a halftime show that was longer than 15 minutes. This yearâs edition of Copa America was held in the US, where extensive half-time performances are standard.
Alejandro DomĂnguez, the president of CONMEBO, previously said in a statement: âShakira 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: âWe are sure that her performance at the Copa AmĂ©rica USA 2024 will enhance the message of healthy passion and unity through sport,â although not everyone was as enthused by the multi-Grammy Award-winning artistsâ performance.
Colombiaâs 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 âHips Donât Lieâ, âTe Felicitoâ, âTQGâ and âPunterĂaâ – telling the fans: âTe Quiero, Colombia!â (I love you, Colombia) between songs.
Her recent single âPunterĂaâ, featuring rapper Cardi B, was also chosen as the official song of TelevisaUnivisionâs 2024 Copa AmĂ©rica CONMEBOL coverage.
The post Watch Shakira perform at first-ever Copa America halftime show appeared first on NME.