Luisa Sonza to perform in first NFL regular season game in Brazil

Luisa Sonza will be performing at the first NFL in-season game hosted in Brazil. The opportunity is a historic one, with Sonza sharing how much it means to her to be involved in the notorious showcase for the sport that hopes to attract a wider and more international audience. 

© Pedro Gomes

Sonza will be performing Brazil's National Anthem at the match, which is scheduled for September 6th and will take place at the Arena Corinthians in São Paul. The stadium has a capacity for around 50,000 people and has previously hosted sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup.

"This is a very important exposure. But above all, representing my country to the world is the greatest honor I can have as an artist,” said Sonza in an interview with Billboard. “It’s always emotional because it’s about our roots, our homeland. Being able to represent that to the world will be an honor.”

Sonza revealed that singing the anthem is a special responsibility, one that's responsible for building up anticipation for the game. “It’s always emotional because it’s about our roots, our homeland. Being able to represent that to the world will be an honor," she said. 

She'll be joined by Anitta, who'll be performing the game's half-time show. 

© Jaydee Lee

The NFL in Latin America

Last year, it was announced that the NFL was interested in expanding the locations where it hosts games, wishing to play some of the league's key matches in Latin American countries. In 2023, the NFL hosted matches in Frankfurt, Germany, and London, England. 

The NFL had a lot of options to set their matches and opted for Sao Paulo over Madrid, claiming an interest in hosting games in a brand new continent. "Pending having the opportunity to play in Madrid and Brazil in the future, we would be excited to do that. The reason we went first with Brazil really ties to going to a new continent for the first time, into South America for the first time for the regular season," said Peter O'Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international and league events.