France 98: the World Cup that forever changed the fate of Ricky Martin

There are only a few hours left to start the Soccer World Cup Qatar 2022, one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. With this, there is also an expectation of which artists will perform at the inauguration that will take place this Sunday, November 20, at the Al Bayt Stadium in the city of Jor. But, going back a bit in time, there is a show that will never be forgotten. We are talking about the one provided by the Puerto Rican Ricky Martin in France 1998.

More than 24 years have passed and the public continues to remember the performance of the Puerto Rican for that edition of the World Cup. But it is not a surprise due to the great reach and the subsequent impact on the Puerto Rican’s career. A review of everything that happened on that occasion, here.

Stroke of luck?

Paris, France was chosen by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) as the venue for the 1998 World Cup. To promote the sporting event, the organization needed a catchy song so that the public was attentive to all incidents.

During its search for the artist that would bring this theme to life, FIFA came across Puerto Rican Ricky Martin. In this way, Latin America would be under the gaze of the whole world.

“I have to admit that the challenge made me a little nervous, but the enormous potential for growth for my career was such that I decided to accept it”refers to the singer. “It was a unique opportunity to introduce the charms of Latin music to the rest of the world,” added.

Once the organization gave his approval, Ricky Martin began working on the single that would become one of the most remembered. After hours in the studio, “La Copa de la Vida” emerged, a song that would quickly gain popularity.

In February 1998, the Latin artist released the single, almost four months before the opening of the World Cup. For this reason, the public was able – little by little – to turn it into an ‘anthem’ for the fans who traveled to the European country to support their teams.

But, it would not be until the final of France 98, held on July 12 where the host country faced Brazil, that Ricky Martin would have the opportunity to sing “La Copa de la Vida” live. Inside the Saint-Denis Stadium, industry personalities such as Madonna and the Rolling Stones would enjoy the show of the artist who sought to leave Latin America in style in front of more than 50,000 attendees.

After getting off the stage, Ricky Martin’s life changed completely. He put Latin America on the lips of the world and, in addition, gave him the strength, self-esteem and inspiration necessary to continue working on forging his own path in the music industry.

Assured success

What not many know is that “La Copa de la Vida” was originally written in English. The composers Desmond Child (author of Aerosmith’s “Angel”) and Robi ´Draco´ Rosa (wrote Ricky Martin’s “Rosa”) were in charge of creating the lyrics for the main song of Francia 98. Meanwhile, the Spanish Luis Gómez -Escolar (composer for Camilo Sesto, Miguel Bosé and Luis Miguel) had the task of writing the lyrics in Spanish.

These three composition masters were summoned by Ricky Martin while he was recording his new studio album “Vuelve”. Finally, the single was released in February of that year, along with the rest of the album; which, by the way, managed to sell more than 8 million copies and debuted as the leader of the Latin Billboard charts.

Meanwhile, returning to World Cup fever, the video clip for “La copa de la vida” would not arrive until two months later, in April 1998. It was directed by Wayne Isham and shot in his native Puerto Rico, thus evidencing his love for Latin American culture.

The internationalization of this theme made Ricky Martin also lead rankings in Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland and Sweden.

From there forward

After the fever of the World Cup France 98, Ricky Martin continued to be successful. But, perhaps he never left “The Cup of Life” aside. Therefore, the Recording Academy invited him to present this theme at the 1999 Grammy Awards gala, held on February 24.

The broadcast of the ceremony was watched by more than a billion viewers in 87 countries. In addition, he won the gramophone for the Best Performance of Latin Popular Music category with “Vuelve”. But, the recognitions did not stop. Her new album “Vuelve” began to occupy the top positions in the rankings around the world.

Subsequently, we already know what came for Ricky Martin’s professional career. The following year, the Puerto Rican released his fifth studio album “Ricky Martin” (1999), produced by Robi Rosa, Desmond Child, and Emilio Estefan, Jr., among others. This managed to debut at the top of the Billboard magazine 200 album list, having the highest sales figure in the first week with 660 thousand copies.

In this way, he positioned himself as one of the best stars in Latin music. “Livin’ la vida loca” was included on this album and continues to be one of the most remembered songs by the Puerto Rican.

A new opportunity

Although it is true that Ricky Martin has not returned to take the main role in a World Cup after France 98, the organization has continued to consider him as part of the following sporting events. For example, for the 2014 World Cup in South Africa, he participated as an interpreter of the single “Vida”, which was not an official theme.

“I am delighted with the project because FIFA gave the public the power to write a song. There will be a before and after. Something magical is going to happen, the song is fascinating”expressed the Puerto Rican in an interview with The Associated Press.

The theme is a mixture of tropical and pop rhythm chosen in the SuperSong contest, organized by Sony Music, where more than 1,500 songs by composers from all over the world participated. “Vida”, by the composer Elijah King, a 23-year-old Puerto Rican musician at the time.

“It’s the musical hook, the wonderful lyrics. We have created an anthem. I am sure that the composer’s life will be affected, without a doubt”added the interpreter on that occasion.