An Argentine journalist walked off his live television post in the middle of the World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City to ask Shakira for a photograph — an impromptu pitch invasion that instantly went viral.
Marcelo Benedetto, reporting for an Argentine broadcaster, was stationed near the pitch at the Estadio Azteca when the Colombian pop star appeared to perform. Without a word to his producer, he dropped his microphone and darted towards Shakira, seizing the chance for a selfie as the watching millions looked on.
“Argentine journalist Marcelo Benedetto walked off live TV to ask Shakira for a photo during the World Cup opening ceremony.”
The moment, captured by onlookers and broadcast cameras, shows Benedetto approaching Shakira, who appears to oblige, before he returns to his position. His colleagues were left scrambling as the feed briefly cut to a wide shot.
Shakira was at the stadium to deliver a pre-match performance alongside Nigerian artist Burna Boy, singing their hit 'Dai Dai' to an eager global audience. The show marked the start of the 2026 World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Benedetto later joked on social media that his priorities were clear. “I had one job,” he wrote, alongside the picture. “And I did it.”