Colombian pop star Shakira will perform her official song for the 2026 World Cup at the competition’s opening ceremony in Mexico.
This comes more than 15 years after her hit, ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’, soundtracked the FIFA World Cup in 2010.
The global superstar will be joined by Nigerian Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy during the ceremony at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 11 June, ahead of the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. The encounter will kick off the expanded tournament, which will feature a record 104 matches.
The song title Dai Dai, derived from an Italian expression meaning “let’s go” or “come on”, serves as the official soundtrack for the competition.
The opening event in Mexico will also feature performances from Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyla, adding further star power to the celebrations.
For the first time, opening ceremonies will also be held before the first matches in each of the three host nations. In Canada, renowned singers Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette will entertain fans at BMO Field in Toronto before the hosts face Bosnia and Herzegovina on 12 June.
Meanwhile, in the United States, pop icon Katy Perry and rapper Future are scheduled to perform at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles ahead of the opening fixture involving the USA and Paraguay.
The Colombian native, Shakira’s involvement in the tournament will not end with the opening ceremony. She is also set to co-headline the World Cup final’s first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show on 19 July, sharing the stage with music legends Madonna and K-pop supergroup BTS.
