By Piya Roy
As excitement builds for the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, some of the biggest names in sports, media and entertainment gathered at American television broadcaster NBC’s iconic Studio 8H for The Telemundo Playmakers Summit, a high-profile forum. The discussion centred on how sports, music, fashion, technology and storytelling are reshaping the entertainment industry ahead of one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Among the day’s standout speakers was Grammy Award-winning Colombian singer and songwriter Karol G, who reflected on her career as a globally-influential pop star and the growing influence of Latin culture on the world stage. As part a conversation with ELLE magazine editor-in-chief Nina Garcia, Karol G spoke about the significance of representing millions of Latinos worldwide while reaching her career-defining milestones. The Colombian superstar also reflected on becoming the first Latina to headline Coachella, performing during a historic American football (NFL) game in Sao Paulo, and selling out stadiums around the world.
She emphasised how music serves as a unifying force and discussed her role in representing the Latin community on a global stage.
“Now that I have the opportunity to travel the world with my music, I see that the world is beautiful and our community has so many beautiful things that we need to embrace, too, like our culture,” Karol G said. “We’re very family-oriented, we love our traditions, we love to invite people to what we do. We’re very hard workers, really, really hard workers. We’re very resilient because of our story,” she said, while highlighting the uniqueness and power of Latin culture.
Karol G also acknowledged that worldwide success has brought her greater responsibility as one of Latin music’s most recognisable ambassadors. “The responsibility of carrying my culture, it’s heavy,” she said, explaining that fame has changed how she approaches both her public and private life.
The singer reflected on the historic significance of becoming the first Latina to headline Coachella in the festival’s history, acknowledging both the achievement and the reality that it took decades for that milestone to happen. Speaking about the moment, she revealed that she had discussed its importance with Coachella CEO Paul Tollett following her performance.
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With the FIFA World Cup final approaching, Karol G discussed the connection between music and sports, saying both create unforgettable shared experiences inside stadiums. “Stadiums were made to celebrate a goal, but at the same time, it’s beautiful to see that people sing songs in a stadium,” she said. “Sports and music, they’re different languages, but they create the same emotion.”
At the Telemundo Playmakers Summit, Karol G discussed the timing of her upcoming fourth stadium tour, Tropicoqueta, aligning it with the World Cup buzz. She compared the physical demands of performing night after night to those of elite athletes, saying she has to approach touring with discipline.
“I’m an athlete too,” she explained, adding that putting on a stadium show requires extensive preparation, training and taking care of her physical and mental health so she can consistently perform at a high level.
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