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Shakira dedicated an emotional message to Lionel Messi through a story on her official Instagram account, after the Argentine captain became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with his on Monday at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Colombian singer tagged @leomessi and wrote: "Very proud of you, Leo, and everything you are achieving for your family, your country, and all Latinos!!! Your commitment and dedication are an example for many. Keep shining!"
The message arrived shortly after Messi scored twice to give Argentina a 2-0 victory over Austria, a result that enabled the star to reach 18 goals in the history of the tournament and exceed the record of 16 held by the German Miroslav Klose since Brazil 2014.
Shakira not only celebrated the milestone on social media: she was present in the stadium during the match alongside her children Milan and Sasha, and television cameras captured her on three different occasions throughout the game.
The first appearance was at the beginning of the second half, when Milan embraced and kissed her in front of the giant screens of the venue, which has a capacity for 80,000 spectators, resulting in a massive ovation from the audience.
Six minutes later, the artist reappeared on camera alongside her two children, and once again the stadium erupted in applause as she waved and blew kisses to the crowd.
With twenty minutes left in the match, Shakira was spotted for the third time, solidifying her presence as one of the most talked-about moments of the day on social media.
The connection between the singer and the tournament is historic: Shakira headlined the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where she performed "Dai Dai" alongside Burna Boy, becoming the only artist with four official songs linked to a World Cup, following Waka Waka in South Africa 2010 and La La La in Brazil 2014.
The bond between Shakira and Messi also has a personal chapter: both shared years in the environment of FC Barcelona, where the Argentine star and Gerard Piqué—Shakira's ex-partner—were teammates and close friends. After Shakira and Piqué's separation in 2022, the artist rekindled her closeness with the Messi family.
With his double against Austria, Messi also matched the remarkable feat of scoring in six consecutive World Cup matches, a achievement previously accomplished only by Just Fontaine and Jairzinho.
Argentina, the reigning champion from Qatar 2022, has mathematically qualified for the Round of 32 as the leader of Group J with six points from two matches. The team's next match at Dallas Stadium will be on Saturday against Algeria.
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