This story is part of Billboard’s Global World Cup Series, a collection of 11 cover stories which pairs top soccer stars across the world competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with highly-touted musicians in accompanying countries.
“When are we dropping the next hit?” Lucho Díaz asks Ryan Castro with a laugh, as they switch roles to interview each other for Billboard Colombia as the stars of Billboard‘s Global World Cup Series, in a special edition for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
More than an interview, it felt like a conversation between two friends whose bond was sealed with “EL RITMO QUE NOS UNE,” the anthem that accompanied Colombia’s national team during the 2024 Copa América. From Orlando, Florida — where La Tricolor was holding its training camp ahead of the 2026 World Cup — Ryan and Lucho reunited with hugs, inside jokes and music talk, especially around “La Promesa,” the champeta track that marked Lucho’s debut as a solo artist.
This was no ordinary meeting. Sitting face-to-face were two of Colombia’s biggest names of the moment. On one side, Lucho Díaz, star of Colombia’s national team and the country’s all-time top scorer in Champions League history. On the other, Ryan Castro, one of the strongest voices in urban music and the artist with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Colombia Hot 100.
