By Fernando Cardoso
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil, which long cheered for supermodel Gisele Bundchen’s husband on the gridiron, is now turning its attention to Taylor Swift’s fiance.
Brazilians never got a chance to see the legendary quarterback Tom Brady on local soil before he split with Brazil’s most famous supermodel, but they have snapped up tickets to Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce’s season opener in Sao Paulo on Friday.
Some of those fans admit they are most excited about the chance of spotting Kelce’s superstar fiancee, after he and Swift announced their engagement last week.
“Two years ago, I didn’t watch NFL games as much. But since Taylor started dating Travis, I began watching more games just to see her. I’m extremely anxious about the possibility of seeing her,” said Rafaella Martins, 27, who is traveling to Sao Paulo from the neighboring state of Minas Gerais for the game.
The Kansas City Chiefs will face their division rivals the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo in their sold-out season opener. Fans will get a first look at the reigning AFC champs as they begin their pursuit of a fourth straight Super Bowl appearance.
Since the Chiefs were announced in May as one of the teams playing in Brazil’s second-ever NFL game, the pop star’s legion of fans, so-called “Swifties,” have connected the dots: If Kelce is in Sao Paulo, his superstar fiancee might be, too — although her presence has not been confirmed.
Rumors about the much-hyped couple started in mid-2023, when Swift attended a Chiefs game in Kansas City for the first time. Since then, she has appeared often at NFL games, even when the Chiefs were on the road.
Kelce has also attended several of Swift’s concerts during her billion-dollar “Eras Tour” in 2023 and 2024, and danced on stage during a London show last year.
While some NFL fans have criticized all the attention the singer has drawn from sports media, some Swifties argue her presence has helped the league by boosting interest.
“Taylor is definitely a global inspiration of a successful woman. The NFL is reaching new fans. Of course this comes with a lot of hate when it’s associated with a famous and powerful woman, but that’s fine,” said Amanda Tavares, 27, an architect from the southern state of Parana also attending the game.
She said the connection between the pop star and the Chiefs has been a lucky match, as she was long a fan of both and got more excited about the sport when Swift began attending games.
After Swift and Kelce announced their engagement last week, the excitement about her potential appearance in Brazil sent some fans scrambling for last-minute resale tickets.
Even if they cannot get into the game on Friday, some still plan to do what they can for a chance to see their musical idol.
“I’m still trying to buy tickets just for a chance to see her. If she’s confirmed to attend the game, I plan to be near the stadium even without a ticket,” said Guilherme Seixas, 22, a software engineer from Sao Paulo.
(Reporting by Fernando Cardoso; Editing by Edmund KlamannEditing by Brad Haynes)
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