The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens are bringing the NFL to Brazil on Sunday, September 27, with the game taking place at the famous Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
The NFL officially announced the pair as the performers for the Rio Game in August. But the football will not be the only major attraction. Ricky Martin and Brazilian DJ Pedro Sampaio will perform during the halftime show as the NFL stages its first regular-season game in Rio. Sampaio brings a different connection to the event. The Rio de Janeiro native is one of Brazil’s biggest music stars and is known for mixing Brazilian funk with pop and electronic music. The NFL’s choice of Ricky Martin fits the league’s wider focus on Latin music and international audiences. Martin has a large following across Latin America and beyond, while his music has helped bring Latin pop to a global audience. There is also a personal connection for Martin. The NFL also wanted a Brazilian artist involved, which is where Sampaio comes in.
The game kicked off at 5:25 pm local time, or 4:25 pm ET, on Sunday. He has also earned more than 14 billion audio and video streams, according to the NFL .
The NFL said it wanted the Rio halftime show to celebrate the city’s energy and culture while connecting with fans in Brazil and other parts of Latin America. The singer said Rio is one of his favorite places in the world and that he was excited to return to Brazil for another historic NFL event. He grew up in Rio and said performing at Maracanã for the first NFL game in his hometown was something he had never imagined.
