Shakira will headline the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City, FIFA announced on Thursday, with the Colombian superstar set to perform the tournament’s official song ahead of the opening match.
The singer will take the stage at Estadio Azteca before hosts Mexico face South Africa on June 11, performing “Dai Dai” alongside Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
“Dai Dai” — an Italian phrase meaning “let’s go” or “come on” — was unveiled as the tournament’s official song earlier this year.
Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyla will also feature in the ceremony as FIFA launches the first 48-team World Cup, which will be staged across Mexico, the United States and Canada.
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The performance marks another World Cup appearance for Shakira, whose 2010 anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” became one of the tournament’s defining songs. She also performed at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 editions of the competition and has remained one of the artists most closely associated with football’s biggest event.
Shakira, along with Madonna and K-pop boyband BTS, will also co-headline the halftime show at this summer’s World Cup final.
FIFA said opening ceremonies will take place before the first match played in each of the three host nations, a departure from previous tournaments that featured a single opening event.
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In Canada, Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette will headline festivities at Toronto’s BMO Field before Canada’s opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12. In the United States, Katy Perry and Future will perform before the U.S. men’s national team face Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles later the same day.
The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest in the tournament’s history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and increasing the number of matches from 64 to 104.
The tournament opens at the iconic Estadio Azteca and concludes in New York/New Jersey after 39 days of competition across 16 host cities in North America.
