From Shakira to Erling: Personalities who defined World Cup 2026

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MANILA, Philippines – Shakira’s hips really don’t lie with the Colombian pop star’s latest World Cup appearance at 49, and Norway’s striker Erling Haaland unintentionally becoming popular even for non-football fans.

This year’s World Cup was held in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, and living up to its propensity for pomp and display, a Super Bowl halftime-inspired show was introduced for the very first time with the likes of Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber lumped up in one continuous production featuring football stars Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in 30 minutes.

The star-studded show received mixed reactions – first-time viewers, especially BTS fans, were delighted, while longtime World Cup fans worried that it would stop the momentum of players going into the second half of the 90-minute regulation time.

Even football legend and former England captain Wayne Rooney had a say about the halftime show, stressing that he liked the featured artists, but thought of it as “crap.”

The halftime show is just one of the initiatives introduced this year, with hydration breaks also introduced in the edition jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Even then, this World Cup, which occurs every four years, has produced a number of memorable and meme-able personalities that are enough to tide over for the next edition of the quadriennial sporting event that will be hosted next by Spain, Morocco and Portugal in 2030.

Ageless Shakira

World Cup fans know every Shakira songs dedicated for the world’s most popular sport.

Shakira wowed fans when she sang her latest World Cup song “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy and the Ugandan dance group Triplets Ghetto Kids during the closing ceremony. At 49, she showed that her dancing prowess still bests those 20 years younger than her.

There is also a running joke among fans that she has outlasted her ex, former Spain player Gerard Pique, in the number of World Cup appearances. Pique played for Spain in 2010, 2014 and 2018, while Shakira has been appearing in the world's most popular sport for two decades.

Shakira sang “Hips Don’t Lie” with Wyclef Jean in the 2006 closing ceremony in Germany.

She returned in 2010 to record the edition’s anthem “Waka Waka,” with the tournament held in South Africa. Four years later, she recorded “La La La” with Carlinhos Brown for the tournament’s 2014 edition edition hosted by Brazil.

Fan darling Erling

Erling’s goofy nature is an antithesis to his 6’5’’ frame. On the pitch, he turns on a beastly nature with an unnatural speed for a man his height.

He was in the running for the Golden Boot if Norway did not lose to England and Jude Bellingham, his former Bundesliga teammate, in the quarter final match.

Erling tallied 7 goals in the competition stacked with this generation’s football stars, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe, who eventually won the title with 10 goals and 4 assists. Argentine superstar Lionel Messi scored two goals at eight at what is touted to be his last World Cup appearance.

Off pitch, Erling is proving to be chronically online, engaging with fans and memes featuring him even after the tournament wrapped up with Spain clinching its second World Cup title by beating Messi’s Argentina.

It is no small wonder that Norway’s leading scorer and deadly striker has won the hearts of fans all over the world because it is rare to see a man as lethal on the pitch who does not take himself way too seriously off the grand world stage.

Everybody’s crush

Erling is not the only one who gained a ton of followers who are crushing on him.

English midfielder Jude Bellingham’s looks are just as deadly as he is on the pitch. Lovingly called “Hey Jude” after the popular Beatles song, the 6’1” football player could easily pass as a model with a chiseled look, straight nose, and enviable jawline with toned abs and complemented by a brown complexion.

His good looks are just one part of Jude’s astounding features. As earlier mentioned, he is very capable with stats to boast of in this World Cup: 7 goals and 1 assist.

True Cinderella story

If there is a truly inspiring story in this edition, it comes from one tiny nation off the west coast of the African continent.

A tiny nation with a population of roughly 500,000, Cape Verde was only fairly well-known among leisure or holiday travelers until this year.

The African country made its World Cup debut this year, and fans and pundits say it was the most unforgettable debut ever.

Grouped with two former World Cup champions, Spain and Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde was, on paper, easily the best guess to exit its group stage.

But the shocker came during their very first World Cup game facing 2010 champion Spain, with whom they forced a draw, 0-0.

Their goalkeeper, Vozinha, denied several goal attempts at 27, in a squad that features Rodri, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oryazabal, Marco Cucurella, and Spanish young sensation Lamine Yamal. This squad eventually picked up Spain's second World Cup title.

Cape Verde not only drew Spain, but it also tied another two-time World Cup champion, Uruguay, 2-2, and again drew Saudi Arabia, 0-0.

Vozinha, already amassing more than 10 million Instagram followers overnight from his 500,000 followers before the World Cup, again led Cape Verde and put up a valiant fight against defending champs Argentina and Messi. They ended their World Cup run with 2 goals against Argentina’s 3 in extra time.

Vozinha, born Josimar Dias, went from less than 1 million followers to 29.6 million Instagram followers.

Tartan and Row armies

The United States and majority of its citizens saw how much they missed out when they hosted this year’s World Cup.

Boston, in particular, fell in love with Scotland’s Tartan Army, the nation’s football fans. Known for sporting the Tartan kilt, the Tartan Army camped out for weeks in Boston to support their country. News in American outlets even saw the visiting Scots draining the city’s beer supply, and their famous Glasgow prank traveling an ocean away, where they left bright traffic cones on top of the heads of local statues.

It’s not only the Tartan Army that gained fans all over the world. Norway’s Viking Row was a staple in every Norway match.

Fans and Norwegians alike chant “Row” or “Ro!” during matches, most especially in critical plays and right after every win.

Goodbye legends

While this edition saw the rise of future football superstars, a handful of football greats also saw what many pundits say are their last.

Brazil’s Neymar Jr., considered the last of the Joga Bonito generation of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Kaka, bid his farewell in the game against Erling and Norway in the Round of 16.

Though only 34, Neymar’s past injuries are considered a major obstacle for the superstar to return to the World Cup stage in 2030.

It’s not only Neymar Jr. who is expected to see his last World Cup for Brazil. Midfielder Casemiro and goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who are in their mid-30s, are also seen to have played in their last World Cups.

Another heartbreaking match-up was the Portugal and Croatia game, where Modric and Croatia made an early exit after being defeated by his former Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Modric and Croatia left the tournament with 1 goal over Portugal’s 2 in the round of 32.

Cristiano Ronaldo, also called CR7, fell to eventual winner Spain with 0 goals to the latter’s only goal in the round of 16 match. Cristiano Ronaldo will be 45 when his country, Portugal, hosts the 2030 games. This year is considered to be his last year to don the Portuguese colors on the World Cup stage.

It may have been a week now since Manila and its World Cup fans stayed as late as 7 a.m. to watch the grand finals, but Filipinos will have an extended World Cup experience when the Philippines’ very own Filipinas will don the three stars and the sun on their kits in their back-to-back World Cup appearance at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

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