FIFA announced on Thursday that Shakira will headline the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City. The Colombian superstar is set to perform the official tournament song prior to the opening match.
She will take the stage at Estadio Azteca before the host team Mexico faces South Africa on June 11, where she will perform “Dai Dai” alongside Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
“Dai Dai,” which translates from Italian to mean “let’s go” or “come on,” was revealed as the official song for the tournament earlier this year.
Additionally, Colombian reggaeton sensation J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyla will also participate in the ceremony as FIFA kicks off the first-ever 48-team World Cup, hosted across Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
This will mark another World Cup appearance for Shakira, who previously released the iconic 2010 anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” a defining song of that tournament. She has performed at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups and remains one of the most prominent artists associated with football’s premier event.
Moreover, Shakira will co-headline the halftime show at this summer’s World Cup final alongside Madonna and K-pop boyband BTS.
FIFA stated that opening ceremonies will now take place before the inaugural match in each of the three host nations, rather than having a singular opening event as in previous tournaments.
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In Canada, Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette will headline celebrations at Toronto’s BMO Field before Canada plays Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12. Meanwhile, in the United States, Katy Perry and Future will perform prior to the U.S. men’s national team matchup against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles later that day.
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104.
The tournament will kick off at the famous Estadio Azteca and culminate in New York/New Jersey after 39 days of competition across 16 cities in North America.