"The Cup of Life" (Spanish: "La Copa de la Vida") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singerRicky Martin for his fourth studio album,Vuelve (1998). Martin created the song afterFIFA requested of him ananthem. The song was written by Luis Gómez Escolar,Desmond Child, andDraco Rosa, while the production was handled by the latter two. It was released byColumbia Records on March 9, 1998, as the secondsingle from the album, and became theofficial song of the1998 FIFA World Cup held inFrance. A primarily Spanish languagesamba-rootedLatin pop song, it carries a football-heavy message with fully positive lyrics.
The song has received highly positive reviews frommusic critics, who complimented its energy and lyrics. "The Cup of Life" has been ranked as the best World Cup anthem of all time by multiple publications, includingThe Atlantic,Dallas Observer, andThe Fader. It is also one of Martin's most commercially successful songs worldwide, appearing on the charts in more than 60 countries, and reaching number one in 30 countries. It has received severalcertifications, including platinum in Australia and France. The accompanyingmusic videos were directed byWayne Isham and filmed during a sold-out concert in Puerto Rico.
To promote the song, Martin performed it for many television programs and award shows, including the1998 FIFA World Cup final. His performance at the1999 Grammy Awards was greeted with a massive standing ovation and received acclaim from critics. It is known as a game-changer for Latin music worldwide, being credited as ushering in the "Latin explosion". Martin's performance of the song during thefirst inauguration of George W. Bush was also ranked as one of the "Best Inauguration Performances of All Time" by several sources. Multiple artists and contestants on various music talent shows have covered the song, includingCarlito Olivero and Alondra Santos.
In 1995,Ricky Martin released his third studio albumA Medio Vivir, and "María" was chosen as the album's secondsingle, which became a huge success. While he was on tour and recordingVuelve in 1997, "María" caught the attention ofFIFA. They contacted Martin and asked him to create asong as the1998 FIFA World Cup anthem.[1] "I have to admit that the challenge made me a bit nervous, but the massive growth potential for my career was such that I decided to accept." Martin wrote about the request inMe, his official autobiography. Following his acceptance, musiciansK.C. Porter,Robi Rosa, andDesmond Child joined him, and they started working on "The Cup of Life". Martin wrote about the recording inMe:
From that moment on, we began to look at the album as part of a global strategy to promoteLatin music worldwide, so we chose and arranged the songs with the sole mission of getting the entire globe to dance and sing in Spanish. It was a unique opportunity to introduce the charms of Latin music to the rest of the world.[1][2]
The song was released byColumbia Records on March 9, 1998, as the secondsingle from the album.[2][3] It was later released as thelead single from the album in Asian and European markets. Sony Music Asia released apromo CD containing three versions of "María", and "The Cup of Life".[4] In Australia, "The Cup of Life" was released as a double A-side single with "María".[5] "La Copa de la Vida" was included as the eighth track onVuelve, released February 12, 1998,[6][7][8] and itsSpanglish radio edit was included as the ninth track on Martin's fifth studio albumRicky Martin, released May 11, 1999.[9] Anextended play, titledLa Copa de la Vida (Remixes), was also released in 1998, which includes eight remixes of the song.[10]
Musically, "La Copa de la Vida" is a primarily Spanish languagesamba-rootedLatin pop song,[12][13] and features elements ofbatucada,salsa,dance,mambo, andEuropop.[4][14][15] John Lannert fromBillboard says it resonates "much closer to Brazilian grooves than to sounds emanating from Martin's place of birth - Puerto Rico".[16] According to the song'ssheet music on Musicnotes.com, "The Cup of Life" is composed in thekey ofC minor with agroove of 108beats per minute.[17] Martin's vocals span from the low note ofG4 to the high note ofAb5.[17] Although the song is mostly in Spanish, Martin also uses a few words in English and French in thechorus.[18]
The track was written by Spanish musician Luis Gómez Escolar, American songwriterDesmond Child, and American musicianDraco Rosa, with its production being handled by Desmond Child and Rosa.[19] "La Copa de la Vida" runs for a total of 4 minutes and 27 seconds,[8] and the English version is called "The Cup of Life".[4][20]Leila Cobo fromBillboard described it as a "high-octane party track".[21] Throughout the song, Martin carries a "soccer-heavy" message with fully positive lyrics, including: "The cup of life, this is the one / Now is the time, don't ever stop" and "Nothing can hold you back if you really want it".[13][22][23]
"La Copa de la Vida" has been met with universal acclaim frommusic critics.Larry Flick fromBillboard wrote, "Martin is put to good use on the official song of theWorld Cup." He also complimented Martin's "relentless energy over a salsa-spiced dance beat", describing the song as "a nifty musical souvenir from the sporting event", that gave him "another chance to court mainstream pop audiences", reasoning that "he's among the hotter heartthrobs inLatin music".[14] Also fromBillboard, Leila Cobo named it "the most emblematic and best-known World Cup anthem in modern history", saying "it's the song that set in motion the serious competition to vie for a World Cup song". She questioned, "is there really anyone in the world who hasn't shouted 'Un, dos, tres /Allez, allez, allez' at a party?"[24] In another article, she labeled it "a brassy, Latin/global blockbuster" and described its chorus as "the most soaring, anthemic World Cup chorus ever".[25] Additionally, she considered it "[a] mega-hit" in a 2006 article.[26] Also from the same magazine, Kat Bein gave the track a positive review, saying that the "whistle-heavy, horn-driven hit is a must for any soccer celebration. It's more than just an official FIFA anthem, it's a classic Martin single".[27]
Nicole Acevedo fromNBC News described the track as a "world-famous mega-hit".[28] An author ofE! wrote that there was not a minute in the whole year "that the song was not played", and emphasized that "it was obviously one of the big must-do hits at parties".[29] Luis Paez-Pumar fromThe Fader praised "La Copa de la Vida" for being the only song that "has mixed a soccer-heavy message with such a fun song that hits uplifting notes without being corny".[22] Peter Vincent fromThe Sydney Morning Herald named the track "[a] huge bold anthem",[30] andOneFootball's Lewis Ambrose described its chorus as "highly memorable".[31]BuzzFeed's Jessica Lima complimented the song's "unique and catchy sound", writing: "Since the worldwide debut of 'Copa de la Vida', no other World Cup anthem has been able to compare to the energy of this song."[32]Interview's Ernesto Macias complimented the track, calling it "an infectious anthem with a hint of Brazilian beats".[33]
Liz Calvario fromEntertainment Tonight praised the song, labeling it "a sizzling summer jam".[34] Scott Roxborough fromThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "This is the song that set the musical template for World Cup anthems to come. [...] Martin got the world shimmying and shaking to 'The Cup of Life'."[35] Writing forThe Overtake, Ben Sledge gave "La Copa de la Vida" a positive review for its "catchy chorus" and "great samba style", saying it "creates a party atmosphere ripe for any World Cup".[36] An author of BeSoccer praised Martin's "powerful vocals and spirited lyrics" in whole song that "captivated people, helping everyone sail with the fun and jubilation that the world cup brings".[37] In his review forPitchfork, Corban Goble wrote that if World Cup anthems someday would be "given their own textbook", "La Copa de la Vida" would be "the standard-bearer for the whole genre". He continued to admire the track for having "everything you look for in a World Cup song", and described its chorus as "giant" and "soaring". He also celebrated its lyrics "that starts with the word 'Ole!' and builds from there".[15] Writing forO, The Oprah Magazine, Amanda Mitchell ranked the track as Martin's fourth best song on her 2019 list,[38] and in 2020, Luca Mastinu fromOptimagazine listed it as one of Martin's five greatest hits. He also acclaimed its chorus, which "still haunts us".[39]
Internationally, the track hit the charts in more than 60 countries,[2] and topped the charts of 30,[73][74] making it one of the most successful World Cup songs.[75] It is also known as one of Martin'ssignature songs.[76] In Australia, "The Cup of Life" spent six weeks at number one.[5] It was the best-selling song of 1998 in Australia,[30] and was certified platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 70,000 copies in the country.[77] It spent four weeks at number one in Germany,[78] where it was certified gold by theBundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), denoting shipments of over 250,000 copies.[79] The song also peaked within the top five in Austria,[80] and peaked at number 29 in the United Kingdom.[81]
"La Copa de la Vida" spent six weeks at number one in France, where it became Martin's second number-one hit,[82] and was certified platinum by theSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), denoting shipments of over 500,000 copies in the country.[83] The song also spent six weeks at number one in Sweden,[84] where it was certified double platinum by theGrammofonleverantörernas förening (GLF), denoting shipments of over 60,000 copies.[85] Additionally, the song topped theUltratop Wallonia chart of Belgium as well as Switzerland'sSwiss Hitparade chart,[86][87] and was also a number one hit in Costa Rica,[88] El Salvador,[89] Italy,[90] Nicaragua,[88] Panama,[88] Spain,[91] and Venezuela.[92] It also reached the top 10 in Honduras,[89] Guatemala,[88] the Netherlands,[93] and Norway.[94]
In the United States, "La Copa de la Vida" debuted at number 20 onBillboard'sHot Latin Tracks chart on March 28, 1998,[95] becoming Martin's 15th entry and his 11th top-20 release on the chart.[96] It subsequently peaked at number two on the chart on May 2, 1998,[97] giving Martin his eighth top-10 track.[2] On the USBillboard Hot 100 chart, "The Cup of Life" debuted at number 90 on the issue dated June 27, 1998,[98] becoming Martin's second entry after "María".[99] The following week, the former climbed to number 62,[100] and originally peaked at number 60 in its fourth week on the Hot 100.[2][101] However, almost one year later and after the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca", "The Cup of Life" re-entered the chart at number 95 on June 12, 1999,[102] and reached number 45 on the chart issue dated August 7, 1999.[103] "The Cup of Life" has since become Martin's longest-charting hit on the Hot 100, spending 34 weeks on the chart.[99]
The song also reached number 18 on USMainstream Top 40,[104] number 40 on USAdult Top 40,[105] and number 27 on USRhythmic Top 40.[106] On the USMaxi-Singles Sales chart, the song peaked at number four,[107] and spent 61 weeks on the chart, becoming Martin's first top 10 and his longest-charting hit as of 2025.[108] In January 2010, almost 12 years after the song's release,Billboard introduced a USLatin Digital Song Sales chart, and "La Copa de la Vida" debuted at number 40 on April 17, 2010,[109] before reaching a peak of number 20 in June.[110] It also re-entered the chart in 2012,[111] 2014,[112] 2015,[113] and 2022,[114] and although the song was released years before thedigital era, it has sold over 141,000 digital copies in the US, as of January 2011.[115] Its physical sales stand at 228,000 copies sold in the US.[116]
A screenshot from themusic video, depicting Martin singing and dancing in a concert.
The accompanyingmusic videos were filmed at a sold-out concert in Puerto Rico,[117] and directed by American directorWayne Isham,[118] who had also directed the video for Martin's previous single "Vuelve".[119] The video for "The Cup of Life" aired in April 1998, and throughout it, Martin is seen wearing a black T-shirt, performing the song energetically in front of the concert audience. Also, there was a similar visual for "La Copa de la Vida", as well as another version of the Spanish version, which consists mainly of the specified performance, but starts with Martin kicking a football to the screen while being filmed. This visual is also interspersed by added scenes of the audience singing and dancing to the song, as well as shots of different football players playing during the FIFA World Cup, which in turn are projected onto a wall while Martin sometimes poses before it.[120][121]
All three music videos are available on the singer'sYouTube channel.[121][122][123] Cristal Mesa frommitú ranked "La Copa de la Vida" as Martin's eighth best music video on her 2018 list.[124] Also, an author ofCultura Colectiva listed "The Cup of Life" among the "13 Videos to Appreciate Ricky Martin's Talent and Sickening Good Looks".[125]
"20 years ago I was extremely fortunate to perform for the first time on the show and it undoubtedly became one of the most important and defining moments of my career. Since then, we have remained focused. Our music has evolved with the times, and there is no denying Latin music came back to the mainstream charts full force in the last two years, breaking all barriers once again. The world is listening and we are here to stay."
—Martin, 20 years after his 1999 Grammy performance.[126]
Martin gave his first live performance of "La Copa de la Vida" forHey Hey It's Saturday on June 4, 1998.[127] On July 12, 1998, he performed it as the official anthem at the1998 FIFA World Cup Final in France, in front of more than a billion TV viewers around the world.[128] Fabian Holt describes it as a "global moment for Latin pop" in his bookGenre in popular music.[129] Although Latin music was not important tothe Recording Academy or the mainstream music industry at the time, Tommy Mottola, then-chief of Columbia Records, was certain about Martin's stardom and pushed hard to have him on the Grammy Awards ceremony. During an interview withBillboard, Mottola told the magazine about it: "There was tremendous resistance from the Grammys. They did not want an 'unknown' to perform, yet we he had already sold 10 million copies ofVuelve worldwide. To me, that was absolutely UNACCEPTABLE."[126]
Finally, on February 24, 1999, cavorting with a 15-piece band alongside and a large number of dancers and percussionists, Martin performed a bilingual version of "La Copa de La Vida" at the41st Annual Grammy Awards, which was greeted with a massive standing ovation and met with acclaim from music critics.[126][128]Rosie O'Donnell, who hosted the show, said: "I never knew of him before tonight. But I’m enjoying him soooooo much."[126]Billboard's Marjua Estevez described the performance as "the most memorable Latin performance at a Grammy Awards show",[130] and the publication ranked it as the 54th Greatest Award Show Performance of All Time on their 2017 list.[131] The performance was additionally placed on a 2017 unranked list of "Top 20 Best Grammy Performances of All Time" byGold Derby,[132] and on a 2019 list of "The Most Unforgettable Grammys Performances of All Time" byInStyle.[133] In 2022,Rolling Stone ranked it as the 15th Greatest Grammy Performance of All Time, as the only Latin performance on the list. The magazine praised Martin's "enough energy and sex and showmanship" that "melt the room" and labeled the performance "a huge moment for the history of Latin pop in the USA", naming it "easily the biggest star-making moment in Grammy history". They added that "nobody ever forgot his name after this".[134] Crystal Larsen from the Recording Academy described the rendition as colorful,[135] and Frank Tortorici fromMTV described it as electrifying.[136] J. Freedom du Lac fromThe Sacramento Bee called it "magical".[137]NPR staff labeled it "the most memorable part of" the ceremony and described it as "electric".[138] Martin was also nominated for Best Host or Performer of a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special at the 1999 OFTA Television Awards.[139]
Besides the 1999 Grammy Awards, Martin performed the song at many live shows, including theMTV Asia Awards, the 1998Festivalbar, and the halftime show at theDallas Cowboys-New England Patriotsfootball game at theEstadio Azteca in Mexico City.[2][140][141] On May 29, 1999, he performed "Livin' la Vida Loca" and "The Cup of Life" onBingolotto TV Show.[142][143] On January 20, 2001, during thefirst inauguration ofGeorge W. Bush, Martin performed "The Cup of Life" and danced with him.[144][145] His rendition was ranked as one of the "10 Best Inauguration Performances of All Time" byUSA Today and one of "The Best Inauguration Performances Throughout History" byGrazia, both in 2021.[146][147] In the same year, it was placed on an unranked list of "Great Presidential Inauguration Musical Performances" byABC News Radio.[148] Martin's view of Bush changed over theIraq War, as expressed in his declaration toBBC News that he will "always condemn war and those who promulgate it". He also stuck up hismiddle finger while singing the president's name in his 2003 song "Asignatura Pendiente" at a concert.[149]
"La Copa de la Vida" was included on the set list forSandy & Junior's Eu Acho que Pirei Tour, which began in April 1998.[173] The song has been covered by several contestants on various music talent shows. FormerMenudo memberCarlito Olivero performed a medley of "La Copa de la Vida" and "María" onseason three ofThe X Factor in 2013.[174] In 2014, the Axis of Awesome performed "The Cup of Life" on season one ofThe Full Brazilian.[175] Alondra Santos delivered a performance of "La Copa de la Vida" for the second semi-final ofseason 10 ofAmerica's Got Talent in 2015. Her rendition received favorable responses from the judges, and Lincee Ray fromEntertainment Weekly gave it a positive review, saying: "Alondra works the stage like a pro. She sings to the camera, calls out to the audience, and even dances with her horn section."[176] "The Cup of Life" has been used four times inDancing with the Stars;Melissa andTony danced to it onseason 8 in 2009,[177]Maria andDerek onseason 14 in 2012,[178] Team Vida onseason 18 in 2014,[179] andSkai andNelly onseason 29 in 2020.[180]
The 2000 albumLa Vida Mickey features re-made versions of Latin/pop songs with the voices of theDisney characters in the background singing along. It includes the track "Mickey's Cup of Life" byMarco Marinangeli, which is a cover version of "The Cup of Life".[181][182]La Sonora Dinamita recorded their own version of "La Copa de la Vida" for their 2019 album, which was also titledLa Copa de la Vida. The album was released fordigital download andstreaming by Discos Aries, LLC on August 8, 2019.[183]
Martin is regarded by the media as the "King of World Cup",[64][184][185] and "La Copa de la Vida" is considered as the "Best World Cup Anthem of All-Time" by multiple sources.[18][22] Although the World Cup anthems only represented the culture of the host country until the1994 FIFA World Cup, Martin broke the "tradition" and "all schemes" in 1998, with "La Copa de la Vida", which was played all over the world.[186][187] He was the first international and Latin pop artist to appropriate the theme of a World Cup, making the song "fashionable" that continues to be heard in every World Cup.[188][189] According toThe Hollywood Reporter, "La Copa de la Vida" became a "musical template" for World Cup anthems, and Martin's Latin and dance crossover style has been much copied in the anthems, as well as football chant "Ole! Ole! Ole!" in the lyrics.[35] As believed byEsquire, the song "inaugurated this musical subgenre" of Latin.[190] Joy Bhattacharjya fromThe Economic Times wrote about "La Copa de la Vida" that it was the first World Cup anthem to have a video just "as ubiquitous as the song", going on to write: "Since then, official songs have an important part to play in every World Cup."[191] In 2018, Diego Urdaneta fromVice credited the song as "one of those that laid the first stones so that J Balvin andBad Bunnys of today can be at the top of the pyramid", labeling it "a milestone for Latin music".[192] Following the announcement of "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)" byTrinidad Cardona,Davido, and Aisha as the2022 FIFA World Cup's official anthem, users on the social media remembered "La Copa de la Vida" along withShakira'sWaka Waka (This Time for Africa) (2010) as the iconic World Cup anthems they missed.[193][194]
"With his leather pants, big smile and energetic performance of 'The Cup of Life', Ricky Martin almost personally kicked off the so-called Latin Explosion of the late '90s."
Martin's performance of "The Cup of Life" at the Grammys not only changed the course of his career, but also altered how people regard Latin music in America.[128] It has been known as a game-changer for Latin music worldwide, that effectively ushered in the "Latin explosion". Then-United Talent Agency head Rob Prinz described the rendition as "the single biggest game changing moment for any artist in the history of the Grammys".[126] According toBillboard, it has been cited as the beginning of the "Latin Pop invasion", which powerfully affected the US mainstream.[131]CNN's Harmeet Kaur wrote that the rendition "marked a breakthrough for Latin music",[195] while Jesús Triviño Alarcón fromTidal Magazine stated, "that single performance opened up the mainstream market for the Latinx legends", mentioning the names ofMarc Anthony, Shakira, andJennifer Lopez.[196]
^abThe Cup Of Life (The Official Song Of The World Cup, France '98) (Australian CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin.Columbia Records. 1998. 666104-5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Cobo, Leila (2006)."Martin Unplugs".Billboard. Vol. 94. p. 61.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 2, 2021.
^Tortorici, Frank (December 23, 1999)."Ricky Martin".MTV. Archived fromthe original on September 3, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 3, 2021.
^Freedom du Lac, Josh (May 21, 1999)."The 'It' Parade".The Sacramento Bee. p. 93.Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Fredag 21 maj 1999".Expressen (in Swedish). 1999. p. 38.ISSN1103-923X.[...] La copa de la vida och Livin' la vida loca, som nu ligger på singellistans sjätte plats.
^Woodward, Cinthia (October 23, 2013)."[Live Review] Ricky Martin".Reverb Magazine Online.Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. RetrievedMay 8, 2021.
^Muldowney, Selene (1998). "Roteiro Musical".Graphic Clip (in Portuguese). Vol. 48, no. 9. p. 3.ISSN1516-9979.No final, Junior subiu ao palco sozinho cantando "Numa partida de futebol ", do grupo Skank, e "La Copa de la Vida", do cantor Ricky Martin, deixondo as garotas malucas
^Maria and The Cup Of Life (Australian CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 665220-5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Cup Of Life (European CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 665753-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^La Copa De La Vida (La Cancion Oficial De La Copa Mundial, Francia '98) (European CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 665520-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Cup Of Life (The Official Song Of The World Cup, France '98) (European CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 665753-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^La Copa De La Vida (La Cancion Oficial De La Copa Mundial, Francia '98) (European CD Single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1998. 665520-2.
^La Copa De La Vida (La Cancion Oficial De La Copa Mundial, Francia '98) (European 12-inch Single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1998. 665520-6.
^The Cup Of Life (Japanese CD Single liner notes).Epic Records. 1998. ESCA 6992.
^The Cup Of Life (UK CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 666150-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Cup Of Life (UK CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 666150-5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Cup Of Life (The Official Song Of The World Cup, France '98) (US CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 38K 78931.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^abThe Cup Of Life (The Official Song Of The World Cup, France '98) (US CD Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 44K 78932.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Cup Of Life (The Official Song Of The World Cup, France '98) (US 12-inch Single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Columbia Records. 1998. 44 78932.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
