Will Shakira be at the opening of the Qatar 2022 World Cup?

Shakira would finally not be present at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar scheduled for this Sunday. The Colombian singer, who hasn’t officially expressed herself yet, would have refused to be at the football event after the criticisms she received for their presence in a country that limits fundamental social rights.

The World Cup will kick off on Sunday 20 November at 13:00 (Argentina time) with the match between Qatar and Ecuador. While details have not been confirmed, a list of potential guest artists has been leaked by the host country. Among them are BTS, the Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin. The ceremony would begin at 12 Argentine time, one hour before the opening game.

After the refusal of Rod Stewart, who recently assured that he had rejected the offer of the organizers which amounted to one million pounds, Shakira has been deeply marked in this regardand there are many voices that have been raised against the singer from Barranquilla for giving support to a state like Qatar, thinking more about economic business than about social freedoms.

It escapes no one that Shakira has always been deeply committed to inequality and human rights, as evidenced by the fact that she launched her own Foundation, Pies Descalzos, created in 1997 with the aim of helping disadvantaged children in her country, through powerful tools such as the education sector.

Shakira’s participation in this year’s World Cup has generated a debate that goes beyond the event, and which puts all those professionals who collaborate with the state of Qatar under the spotlight, and which does not only concern the organization or the athletes. Until now the presence of the Colombian singer was taken for granted, but the social pressures and the criticisms leveled against the artist in the last few hours seem to have they would change the performer’s mind, and he would eventually choose not to sing at the opening ceremony.

Shakira is currently in a good moment of popularity, with her brand strengthened after the separation from the footballer Gerard Piqué, and after which many have wanted to position themselves next to the Colombian singer. It is a particularly unstable year in this sense for the singer who, after her problems with the Treasury, has seen how her personal brand was affected in some way, only to then recur again due to the infidelities of her already outgoing ex-partner in a public street.

The singer, who is facing one of her most difficult years, also due to the health of her father, feels a little relieved after reaching an agreement with Piqué for custody of the children, and despite her immediate plans include the transfer living in Miami, the birthplace of Latin music, and focusing on the release of his new album next year, he still has big headaches, like the ongoing trial by the Treasury or, in the next few hours, explaining to the world a decision that it can bring great exposure and financial benefits, but it could also hurt your personal brand. Business or strengthening of one’s image, this is the internal debate that is on the table right now.

Source: The Vanguard