'Latin pop queen' pop star Shakira (Shakira, 49) caused the World Cup broadcast crew to make a massive mistake in the face of her unmistakable aura. A historic "broadcast blunder" occurred in which the crew, focusing on Shakira seated in the VIP section, missed crucial match footage.
According to a report by British outlet The Sun on the 10th (Korean time), during the France vs. Morocco quarterfinal of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, the broadcast production team was distracted by Shakira in the stands and failed to air the match restart footage.
A familiar face appeared at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the match was held. It was world-renowned pop star Shakira, familiar to soccer fans for the 2010 South Africa World Cup theme "Waka Waka." Shakira, who is currently on a North American tour, is reported to have taken time from her Boston concert schedule to attend the match.
The incident occurred around the 40th minute of the first half. When play was briefly halted, the camera captured Shakira in the VIP suite. Given her ageless goddess looks and an aura that could not be approached, it was perhaps inevitable that the camera lingered as if mesmerized.
But the problem was that the screen did not switch back even after play resumed. In the meantime, Morocco's Brahim Diaz drove the ball sharply forward, and France's Jules Kounde dramatically cleared it in a tense highlight. It was a moment that should never have been missed in the flow of the match, but viewers around the world were left watching only Shakira's beauty in real time.
Fox's commentator John Strong was also visibly embarrassed. He noted, "The match resumed quickly and was already under way," and added, "It seems the production team did not realize for some time that the ball was back in play," pointing out the bewildering situation at the time.
Although the broadcast briefly lost track, Kylian Mbappé starred on the pitch. After overcoming the disappointment of missing a first-half penalty, he scored the opening goal in the 15th minute of the second half and later assisted Ousmane Dembélé's goal in the 21st minute of the second half, leading France to a 2-0 victory with one goal and one assist. With his eighth goal of this tournament and 20th career World Cup goal, Mbappé moved to within one goal of "football god" Lionel Messi's record (21 goals).
Buoyed by Mbappé's brilliant performance, France, having advanced to the semifinals, will now face an intense showdown with the formidable Spanish side for a place in the final.
Meanwhile, Shakira, who stopped the World Cup broadcast cameras with her looks alone, is scheduled to take the halftime stage at the North and Central America World Cup final at East Rutherford, New Jersey, on the 20th, once again captivating fans worldwide. In doing so, Shakira will bookend the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. The 2026 FIFA World Cup official theme song "Dai Dai," sung by Shakira, is also sweeping global charts and creating a sensation. Shakira has also said she will donate all of her music royalty revenue from "Dai Dai" to the "FIFA Global Citizen education fund," jointly operated by FIFA and Global Citizen.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Sony Music
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