Touchdown in São Paulo! The NFL is about to samba its way into South American hearts, and it’s bringing a chart-topping Brazilian popstar along for the ride. As the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers prep for their historic clash on Brazilian soil on September 6, whispers of a halftime show that could dare outshine the Rio Carnival are spreading faster than a Hail Mary pass.

Word on the street is that Anitta, Brazil’s $40 million musical powerhouse, is in ‘advanced negotiations’ to set the NeoQuimica Arena (home to the Brazilian soccer team, the Sports Club Corinthians) ablaze on September 6, 2024. This isn’t just your regular halftime show, folks. We’re talking about a cultural fusion that could make the Super Bowl halftime look like a high school talent show. With an average of 50 million viewers tuning in for such matches, not considering the nearly 49,000 stadium capacity that will add extra oomph to the plot, Anitta’s performance could be her biggest yet.

Anitta isn’t just an ordinary singer with a killer voice. Deemed the “ambassador of Brazilian music” by the Wall Street Journal and an eight-time nominee at the Latin Grammy Awards, she’s a trilingual titan who’s been turning heads on both sides of the equator. With hits like ‘Envolver’ topping charts from Rio to New York, what’s on the set list, you ask? Will we hear the pulsating beats of ‘Downtown’ or the infectious rhythm of ‘Bellakeo’?

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Maybe she’ll unleash her latest banger, ‘Funk Rave’, and turn the stadium into the world’s largest dance floor. Undeniably, Anitta’s got the chops to make both NFL diehards and soccer fanatics shake their tail feathers.

In the league meeting from December of last year, Commissioner Roger Goodell in his announcement—about Brazil hosting the NFL’s first regular-season game in South America—said “Brazil has established itself as a key market for the NFL,” And the numbers back this. After all, after the USA and Mexico, Brazil boasts of having the league’s largest fan base. More precisely, a 2023 study conducted by the league celebrates a fan base of nearly 38 million!

Brazil rises to the occasion: The gateway to Latin American NFL fans

The NFL’s Brazilian blitz isn’t some half-baked scheme cooked up over a few caipirinhas. Just ask NFL exec Peter O’Reilly, who spilled the beans to ESPN: “We did a Super Bowl viewing party last year down in Brazil, and it was packed, and the energy is there.” So much anticipation as we make headway to the September 6 Packers vs Eagles game, it almost makes one stop and stare at how history places a ‘near’ coincidence involving the former’s one of the crowning moments in its history with the NFL’s tangible influence on Brazilian soil and pop culture.

Just two years after the Packers won three straight championship games from 1965 to 1967, something no other NFL team has done since postseason play began in 1933, Brazil broadcast the first-ever game, albeit not live. Sporadically featuring important NFL games during the 80s and 90s, a former ESPN commentator even made a huge leap, creating Brazil’s first-ever nationwide tournament in 2009, The Touchdown Tournament, for six long years!

However, the Sep 6 isn’t just about one game. It’s about planting the pigskin flag on South American soil for good, considering Brazil’s National American Football Confederation has been cultivating and nurturing 130 amateur teams with an average roster of 60 players already. Brazil will become only the fourth country outside the U.S. to host a regular-season NFL game, joining the ranks of Mexico, Germany, and the UK. O’Reilly added, “You’ve got some classic soccer clubs around the world who are really interested in hosting the NFL and building a relationship with the NFL.”

Interesting fact: The Eagles-Packers showdown is a cultural handshake, and to make it even more special, both teams will be sporting their alternative colors. Talk about dressing up for the occasion!

Let’s talk numbers for a second. Hosting an NFL game is like throwing a massive block party for your city. Hotels fill up, restaurants buzz and cash registers sing a sweet melody. For São Paulo and Brazil, this translates to an economic touchdown that could rival Carnival season.

Brazilian NFL diehards can now pinch themselves at the thought of seeing Jordan Love sling passes in their backyard. Meanwhile, American fans should be dusting off their passports, ready to mix their love for football with a taste of Brazilian flair.

So, mark your calendars, sports fans. September 6, 2024, isn’t just another day on the NFL schedule. It’s a Friday night lights spectacle kicking off Week 1 of the 2024 season. It’s the day American football and Brazilian rhythm collide in São Paulo’s Corinthians Arena, home of the beloved SC Corinthians soccer team. As they say in Brazil, “Vai ser uma festa!” It’s gonna be one heck of a party!