Burna Boy and Shakira to headline 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony

Colombian pop star Shakira and Nigerian Grammy‑winning artist Burna Boy will headline the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, FIFA announced on Thursday.

The singers will perform the tournament’s official song, “Dai Dai,” before Mexico hosts South Africa in the opening match at Estadio Azteca on June 11.

Shakira and Burna Boy will share the stage for the anthem, which was unveiled earlier this year as the official song of the expanded World Cup.

“Dai Dai” — an Italian phrase meaning “let’s go” or “come on” — will also feature performances from Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin and South African singer‑songwriter Tyla during the ceremony.

The event marks the launch of the first‑ever 48‑team World Cup, jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.

For Shakira, this is another World Cup appearance. Her 2010 anthem, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” became one of the most iconic songs associated with the tournament. She has also performed at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups and remains one of the artists most closely linked to football’s biggest event.

FIFA also confirmed that Shakira will co‑headline the halftime show at the World Cup final alongside Madonna and BTS.

In a departure from previous editions, FIFA said opening ceremonies will be held before the first match in each of the three host nations rather than staging a single opening event.

In Canada, Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette will headline celebrations at BMO Field before Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Katy Perry and Future will perform at SoFi Stadium ahead of the U.S. men’s national team’s clash with Paraguay later that day.

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in the tournament’s history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and increasing the number of matches from 64 to 104.

The competition will begin at Estadio Azteca and conclude after 39 days of action with the final in the New York/New Jersey area, with matches taking place across 16 host cities in North America.

Vanguard News