Valentina Tamayo had no idea what to expect when she walked into Bougainvillea’s Old Florida Tavern in South Miami last month. There were dozens of people wearing soccer jerseys, cameras and flags from around the world. Then she saw celebrity influencer IShowSpeed.
“‘Why is he here?’ I thought,” said the 21-year-old videographer who lives in Kendall. “It was only the beginning of an amazing experience.”
Over the next two days, Tamayo would spend about 12 hours as an extra on “World Cup (Champions),” the surprise addition of the 2026 FIFA World Cup album. Filmed at Boogie’s, Hard Rock Stadium and several other South Florida locations, the song features IShowSpeed reciting the names of countries participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
So far, it’s garnered 59 million views.
For years, World Cup songs have been written and performed by well-known stars such as Shakira, Pitbull, and Ricky Martin. The music team at EA Sports selects artists and songs for the tournament’s official album.
These songs gain international recognition for the artists. Shakira, for instance, set a Guinness World Record when the FIFA Cup Song Waka Waka in 2010 surpassed a billion plays.
The newest song to join the list wasn’t made by a pop star, but a passionate soccer fan and celebrity streamer who moved to Davie early this year.
Watkins, 21, best known as “Speed,” has grown from a novice streamer in Ohio into an internet sensation.
Speed began streaming in 2016 at only eleven years old. Since then, he has accumulated 59 million subscribers on YouTube and over 4.8 million followers on Twitch. He’s known for his over-the-top reactions and hilariously entertaining personality while streaming games such as NBA 2 K, Fortnite and EA Sports FC.
Today, he posts videos about music and international travel, which he calls “world tours.” He has visited more than 50 countries and frequently encounters fans wherever he travels.
Back in 2022, he created a fan anthem he called “World Cup,” which accumulated 97 million streams on Spotify.
Born in Argentina, Tamayo arrived in the United States only two years ago and remembers first hearing about Speed in 2023.
She didn’t pay much attention at first. But this year, Speed’s fame skyrocketed, until everyone, including Tamayo, knew who he was.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, she opened a group chat of videographers and found a link to a Google Form. It was vaguely titled, “Audition Application” and asked for a headshot, age, and acting experience. She was intrigued and decided to fill it out.
A few nights later, around 1 a.m., Tamayo received the call time email. It said she should grab a jersey and be at Boogie’s, a well-known bar and restaurant at 11 a.m. that same day. It explained she would be participating as an extra for a World Cup music video for Darren Watkins. At first, she almost didn’t realize it was for Speed.
When she arrived at Boogie’s the next morning, they assigned everyone a country. Tamayo represented Brazil, and everyone put on jerseys and merch to represent their nation.
The bar was decorated with soccer décor and filled with extras in their 20s “freaking out” just an arm’s length from Speed, she said.
“Meeting him was exciting, but what really stood out to me was the experience and how fun he was with everyone!” Tamayo exclaimed. “That made the shoot more fun.”
Videographers shot fans staring intently at the tavern’s screen, a classic soccer ritual.
Extras embraced and cheered with one another. During breaks, Tamayo and the other young people got to know one another, giving the video a bit more authenticity.
Around 5:30, Tamayo got into her car and started recording her experience for her parents and a friend—the only people who knew she was participating in a World Cup music video.
She didn’t disclose that the artist was a mega star.
“I only told my parents and one friend, because I needed to borrow clothes,” she said. “I started sending videos to my family and my friend saying, ‘This was one of the best experiences of my life. I never had so much fun.’”
On Wednesday, she received a second email around 2 a.m. with a call time for nine hours later at Hard Rock Stadium. This time, Tamayo was allowed to bring a friend to share the excitement. So, she texted Sarah Rodriguez, her best friend.
“All I basically said was ‘Hey. World Cup video opportunity at Hard Rock Stadium. Are you free in three hours?’”
Sarah quickly responded that she had called her boss and was on her way.
“I had to catch her up while she was on the way to the stadium,” Tamayo laughed. “She couldn’t believe it.”
When they arrived, things got surreal. About 45 extras were assigned to a country. Tamayo repped Argentina, her homeland.
Everyone was sent to the bleachers. Then there he was. Speed was wearing a Portugal jersey, à la Cristiano Ronaldo.
As the extras filed into the bleachers, the producers were figuring out who would be next to Speed. Tamayo’s Argentine jersey brought up a concern that the star smiled about. It would be like pairing Argentina’s (and Miami’s) Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“He thought it’d be funny, having Argentina and Portugal being next to each other,” Tamayo recalls.
Then the fans were asked to dance, wave flags and chant – really just have fun. Tamayo says everyone on set, including producers and Speed himself, were sweet and inviting.
“He’s a very joyful person,” Tamayo said. “He likes to speak with everybody. And if he’s not speaking with everybody, he’s dancing.”
Later that afternoon, they were told to drive to Wynwood where they filmed scenes with ATVs circling Speed while kids and adults alike celebrated.
Another scene was shot in a nearby field. By 11 p.m., the energy was still buzzing, but the night was over.
“I could not get over it,” Tamayo said. “Everything happened so fast. I shot the video, and less than a week later it was uploaded.”
Tamayo explained how soccer is “big” in her culture and how the experience made her more passionate about it.
“Seeing so many countries come together, not only for this video, but for the World Cup in general, is very inspiring.”
In just the first day after it was published June 1, it reached 5 million views on YouTube.
“I was in shock because it caught me off guard in a good way,” said Camila Rodriguez, a friend of Tamayo. “It was funny too because I saw one of my good friends being able to meet this celebrity that a lot of the younger generation looks up to.”
Tamayo says the experience taught her much about videography, from camera work to directing. She got to see how the cameras worked, how shots are composed and filmed. She got a taste of the future she’s dreamed of.
“This experience taught me I have to knock at the doors and continue to apply,” she said. “The reality is you never know what door is going to be opened for you.”
