Rosalia celebrates after winning International Artist of the Year during the 2026 BRIT Awards live show at the Co-op Live Arena in Britain in February. She is facing growing backlash in Argentina for sharing a video related to that country's defeat in the 2026 World Cup final. Photo by Adam Vaughan/EPA
July 23 (UPI) -- Spanish singer Rosalía is facing growing backlash in Argentina that has spread beyond social media despite her apologizing for sharing a video related to that country's defeat in the 2026 World Cup final.
The anger has led to boycott calls, the cancellation of a tribute concert and public attacks by streamers and digital hosts,
The controversy began after Rosalía reposted to her Instagram stories a video by influencer Mia Khalifa, who used the song La Perla to mock Argentina's loss to Spain in the World Cup final.
The video included the phrase, "What life sounds like now that the pearls have been defeated," and it includes Spanish flags. In the song, Rosalía uses the term "pearl" to describe a selfish, immature and troublesome person, leading many Argentine users to interpret the repost as a mockery directed at the national team.
