Ricky Martin - La Copa de la Vida

What this video is

Released in March 1998 and serving as the official anthem of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, 'La Copa de la Vida' was a deliberate and historically successful exercise in Latin pop globalization. FIFA had approached Ricky Martin after noting the international traction of 'María,' commissioning an anthem explicitly designed to introduce Latin rhythms to a worldwide audience. The song charted in over 60 countries,…

Why it matters

A landmark artifact of the Latin pop crossover moment, 'La Copa de la Vida' has been ranked the best World Cup anthem of all time by multiple publications. It pioneered the samba-inflected Latin dance-pop format for official sports anthems and is regarded as the commercial and aesthetic model that…

The director

Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958, Vinita, Oklahoma) is an American film and music video director who attended the University of California, Santa Barbara. Inspired by David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes' video, he built a career spanning over 150 videos. He is…