Shakira to Headline 2026 World Cup Opening Ceremony

Global pop star Shakira will take the stage at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to mark the start of the tournament. She is scheduled to perform the official FIFA World Cup 2026 theme song ‘​Dai Dai’ for the first time with Nigerian singer Burna Boy.

The opening ceremony will begin 90 minutes before kickoff, and in addition to Shakira and Burna Boy, world-renowned artists such as Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, and Tyla are expected to deliver spectacular performances.

‘Dai Dai’ will also serve as the official theme song for the ‘FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund’, a joint initiative by FIFA and Global Citizen. This fund aims to raise $100 million by the end of the 2026 World Cup and plans to use the funds to improve educational environments for children worldwide and expand opportunities for football participation.

Shakira has participated in World Cup projects a total of four times, starting with her performance of ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ at the 2006 Germany World Cup closing ceremony. This includes the official 2010 South Africa World Cup theme song ‘Waka Waka’, the 2014 Brazil World Cup song ‘La La La’, and now the 2026 World Cup. Furthermore, on July 19th, she is scheduled to co-headline the FIFA World Cup 2026 final halftime show alongside artists like Madonna.

Shakira, who has demonstrated her global presence with over 95 million album sales worldwide, recently held special limited performances in the United States as part of her world tour. Starting in September, she plans to hold a 12-date European stadium residency tour based in Madrid.