Soccer and Shakira bring generations together for Atlanta weekend

The World Cup is in full swing in Atlanta.

Saturday's match between Uzbekistan (which has a base camp at the Atlanta United facility) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be the fifth match played in the Peach State capital and the last of the tournament's group stage. There are still three matches to go.

So far, matches in Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) have ranged from a dominant Spanish performance over Saudi Arabia to the first match of Cape Verde's possible Cinderella story.

But what may leave a more lasting impact on Atlanta's residents and visitors is what is happening off the pitch.

Hundreds of thousands of fans have gathered in Centennial Park to watch matches, pick up viral charm bracelets, kick a ball around the pitch, and cheer on their favorite teams, whether they are inside Atlanta Stadium or through a screen from across North America. Watch parties in Decatur, Smyrna, Alpharetta, and other parts of the Atlanta metro let the whole city get in on the action.

And inside State Farm Arena, generations of soccer and music fans gathered in their wolf ears and belly dancing skirts for the first night of Shakira's Atlanta tour stop.

Soccer and Shakira through the years

The Colombian music star has dominated Latin music for more than three decades since the release of her first album, "Magia," in 1991. But it wasn't until 1995 with her third album "Pies Descalzos" that she really started to take off.

She has since become known as the Queen of Latin Music, earning her 15 Latin Grammy Awards and spots on the world's biggest stage in sports — the World Cup.

Shakira performed her hit song "Hips Don't Lie" at the 2006 World Cup, and then performed again in 2010, when she released the tournament's theme song for that year, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)." She met her ex-husband and father of her two sons, Gerard Piqué, at the 2010 tournament, and now refers to her children as "Waka kids."

Speaking with PEOPLE earlier this month, Shakira said her "crazy" connection with the World Cup "seems unbreakable." She would go on to perform at the 2014 tournament, and then again this year as part of the opening ceremonies.

"Every World Cup is something really magical," Shakira told PEOPLE. "And I think this one is going to be all about bringing people together in this very sensitive moment in time, socially and politically."

Shakira fans span generations, just like her music

The line before doors opened at State Farm Arena on Friday was filled with a diverse crowd, from young fans in belly dancing skirts and wolf T-shirts to older fans rocking soccer jerseys or curly blond wigs.

Sisters Bella, 9, and Katherine, 15, drove into the city from Brunswick, Georgia, with their parents for the concert and to check out the World Cup fan festival. They are huge soccer fans and cheer for Mexico. But on Friday, it was all about Shakira.

"We've kind of grown up with her. My mom would play her, and my mom used to teach Zumba, so she would like always play that whenever I would go do her classes and stuff, so she's just kind of somebody we've listened to since we've grown up," Katherine said.

Sophia, 22, also remembers Shakira being part of her childhood and her family.

"My family's Colombian. I've grown up listening to Shakira, and my dad wanted to surprise my mom with tickets because the last time that they saw her was 30 years ago. So he wanted to give her the chance to see her again, but with their daughter, so that's why we're here today," Sophia said.

When asked what it has been like to live in Atlanta with the World Cup, Sophia said, "It's just been interesting seeing all of Atlanta just come together for soccer. I really love to see it honestly."

Dan, an Atlanta local, brought his 10-year-old grandson, Grayson, to the Shakira concert after being a longtime fan.

"I've always wanted to see her, and it happened to be with the FIFA World Cup. We went to the fan fest today, so we made a day out of it," Dan said. "It was impressive."

Grayson, who plays midfield on his soccer team, said this is probably the first World Cup he's really watched, and he was finding it "upsetting" that the small teams are keeping the tournament powerhouses at bay — for now.

While many fans were getting ready to see Shakira for the first time, others were gearing up for show six.

Nick, 38, and Rosette, 46, are both from Orlando, and they flew into Atlanta specifically to see Shakira. They attended night one on Friday and will be back Sunday for night two, before traveling to Miami to see more shows.

"When I was 12 years old, and I saw Shakira, there was nothing, no one else like it. You know, she's one of a kind," Nick said. "It helps that Shakira is the queen of the World Cup, so we get to watch her at the opening ceremony. Yeah, they're kind of intertwined."

World Cup matches still to come, Shakira back for night two

Shakira put on a more than two-hour show in Atlanta on Friday, with inflatable wolves, robotic dancers, gyrating hips and more. And, she's back to do it all again on Sunday.

Her "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour" features hit songs like "Loca Loca" and "Whenever, Wherever" as well as more introspective moments as Shakira looks back at her career, her role as a mother and her influence around the world.

Tickets to her Sunday show are still available through the State Farm Arena website.

There are also three more World Cup matches on the way for Atlanta. Here are the remaining matches:

• Wednesday, July 1 — Group L winners vs third place from Group E/H/I/J/K, round of 32 - Shop tickets
• Tuesday, July 7 — Match 86 winners vs Match 88 winners, round of 16 - Shop tickets
• Wednesday, July 15 — Match 99 winners vs Match 100, semifinal - Shop tickets

Irene Wright covers the FIFA World Cup as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].