Shakira asked, Portugal answered: 87,000 euros for FIFA's Venezuela children's fund
After a public appeal by Shakira, Portugal will donate 100,000 dollars (87,000 euros) to the FIFA-Global Citizen fund for children affected by Venezuela's earthquakes.
It has been one of the more improbable storylines of this World Cup: Shakira made a public appeal to several heads of government — Luís Montenegro included, by name — and Portugal answered. The prime minister announced a contribution of 100,000 dollars, roughly 87,000 euros, to FIFA’s humanitarian fund for children affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela.
What is FIFA’s Venezuela fund?
It is the FIFA-Global Citizen fund, created through a four-year partnership between world football’s governing body and Global Citizen, now pointed at Venezuelan children after the 24 June earthquakes — a tragedy that killed thousands and that Portugal feels up close, with 95 Portuguese nationals among the dead. The Colombian singer, who performed at the tournament’s opening ceremony, has been using the World Cup stage to gather government donations.
Why does this run through the World Cup?
Because World Cup 2026 has become this too: a political and humanitarian megaphone where a pop star’s appeal reaches a prime minister’s desk faster than most diplomatic channels. Montenegro, after all, had already shown he follows the tournament closely — he flew to Toronto to watch the national team, controversy included. This time the bill is small for a state and the gesture is worth more than the number: it puts Portugal on the list of countries that responded.
On the pitch, meanwhile, the quarter-finals kick off on Thursday — our France-Morocco preview is here. Off it, the tournament keeps proving that not everything is decided with the ball at someone’s feet.
By Vasco Almada
Image: Junta de Andalucía / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
