During the opening ceremony of the Football World Cup in Mexico City on June 11, the appearance of the Colombian singer sowed doubt among millions of viewers, generating all kinds of speculation.
“It’s not Shakira. It’s a double. She lied to everyone.” This is how a storm of speculation spread in one click, on social networks, during the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City, this June 11. The Colombian singer, famous for her memorable performances during previous World Championships, was supposed to provide the show, but her appearance left more than one viewer perplexed.
From the first notes of his song Dai, daithousands of voices were raised. Dressed in a yellow mesh top with geometric openings, Shakira seemed somewhat changed, the features of her face appearing more drawn than usual, and her oval, hardly recognizable. Wearing dark glasses, she fueled all the discussions about her true identity. Many people, among the 80,000 present on site and the billion viewers around the world, quickly shared their doubts on the Web.
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“And this Shakira from Temu, what is her story?”, asked one Internet user, while another asked the question directly: “Is this a fake Shakira?” If the hypothesis that the star has been replaced by a double is unlikely given the importance of the ceremony, some have however put forward a more striking theory, evoking a physical transformation due to cosmetic surgery. “If it’s Shakira, it’s just that she overused Botox.” And another added, among thousands: “I don’t know about you, but the Shakira who appeared at the inauguration of the World Cup absolutely does not look like the one we know. Either it was a double; “either she had cosmetic surgery or she wore too much makeup.”
Others dug even further: “After having carried out an in-depth investigation into the rumors according to which the person who appeared today is not Shakira, I will tell you what the most informed fans are saying: they affirm that it is indeed her. They mention a scar on her forehead and say she looks taller thanks to thick-soled sneakers. As for his face, the swelling attributed to Botox could offer an additional explanation, thus justifying the wearing of glasses.”
Accustomed to setting stadiums on fire, Shakira has already left her mark during previous World Cups, with memorable anthems like “Hips Don’t Lie” in 2006, “Waka Waka” in 2010, and “La la la” in 2014. At the beginning of May, she made a strong impression during a mega free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio. But this time, it’s a completely different kind of adrenaline that electrifies the fans, between questioning and curiosity.
