Sofía Vergara is heading into a World Cup summer with one issue that has nothing to do with soccer: deciding which relatives will get the limited seats next to her. The 53-year-old said she is excited to share some matches with family, but also said she cannot bring everyone she wants to the games.
That decision matters now because Vergara already has specific matches on her calendar, including Colombia’s first game on U.S. soil in Los Angeles on June 12 and the World Cup Final outside New York on July 19. She also expects to attend additional matches in New York during the tournament, putting her in the middle of a packed schedule that leaves little room for a full family section.
Vergara, who appeared in a Telemundo commercial with Owen Wilson ahead of the FIFA World Cup, said the tournament is bringing together the things she likes most: soccer, family gatherings and national pride. She told PEOPLE that she will be able to watch some games with relatives, and described the experience as one where the family can eat, talk, argue and laugh together.
But the bigger reality is that the guest list is tight. Vergara said the World Cup has already created problems because she cannot get all of her relatives into the games, adding that it has been “kind of like a little bit of a struggle to pick who deserves to go to the World Cup.” The comment turns a glamorous travel plan into a practical family sorting exercise, with relatives competing for a handful of seats at some of the sport’s biggest matches.
There is one more family connection waiting on the schedule. Shakira is set to perform during the World Cup Final Halftime Show, and Vergara said the singer texted her yesterday to ask whether she would be in Los Angeles for the games. Vergara said she is eager to watch the performance and expects it to be a major part of the final weekend.
For now, the outline is clear even if the final guest list is not. Vergara will be in Los Angeles for Colombia’s opening U.S. match, in New York for the final, and somewhere in between she will have to decide which relatives make the cut. The tournament may be about football on the field, but for her, the harder call is still at home.
