Super Bowl 2020: Why Shakira’s Partner Gerard Pique Did Not Attend Halftime Show

Sunday evening, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez took the stage to perform during the Super Bowl LIV halftime show. Several supporters were on hand for this occasion, but Shakira’s partner was missing. Gerard Piqué did not attend the halftime show, but he had a very good reason for the absence.

Piqué, 33, is a professional soccer player and was otherwise engaged during Super Bowl LIV. His team, FC Barcelona, faced off with Levante UD at Camp Nou in Spain. Piqué was successful during this 2-1 victory on Sunday and was able to celebrate both the win and his birthday.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 on Sunday night, bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Missouri for the first time in 50 years. Shakira found similar success during the halftime performance, capping off her day, which happened to be her birthday as well.

“The best birthday gift has been the support of all my fans and the most amazing and hardworking team an artist could wish for,” Shakira wrote on Instagram Sunday night. “We Latinos climbed Kilimanjaro and made history tonight and we couldn’t have done it without all of you!”

Shakira and Piqué began dating in 2011. The soccer player appeared in her music video for “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” They have two sons together, Milan and Sasha. According to the singer, Piqué being with her has nothing to do with the “celebrity” aspect of her life.

“[Gerard is] with me because he wants to be with Shakira the person, not the celebrity,” she said during a 2014 interview with Latina Magazine. “There’s real love, there’s no ulterior motives. And I’m with him because he’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met. We want the same things, we like the same things, we hate the same things. I have never been with someone so passionate in my life.”

As Shakira explained at the time, she would be willing to raise a massive family with Piqué. She would “love to have eight or nine kids” with her partner, but the music projects took away too much of her time.

While the singer may not have enough children for her own futbol team, as she explained in 2014, she is loving life with Piqué. Raising a family together has been a highlight of her life and has helped her discover a true balance between work and family.

(Photo Credit: James Devaney/Getty Images)