Shakira, Burna Boy and J Balvin lit up the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – watch footage below.
The tournament kicked off tonight (June 11) in Mexico City’s historic Azteca Stadium with Mexico – who are co-hosting alongside the USA and Canada – taking on South Africa in the opening match.
The ceremony took place before kick-off, and opened with Mexican Latin rock veterans Maná playing their 1992 hit ‘Oye Mi Amor’, with the thousands in attendance audibly singing along.
It then transitioned to Venezuelan reggaeton artist Danny Ocean, who performed ‘Partidazo’, a track released as part of the official 2026 FIFA World Cup album, followed by Mexican cumbia band Los Ángeles Azules singing ‘Por Ella’ with Spanish-Mexican singer Belinda.
J Balvin then took the reins with a medley of ‘Qué Calor’, ‘Una A La Vez’ and his 2018 Cardi B collaboration ‘I Like It’, before Shakira and Burna Boy rounded it off with their official anthem for this World Cup, ‘Dai Dai’, a song which mentions football legends Pele, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Mo Salah.
WE ARE READY! 🙌
Shakira getting the World Cup underway at the opening ceremony pic.twitter.com/IRyvF558bM
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 11, 2026
✨JBalvin y 💥Shakira retumban en la inauguración del mundial! 💥desde México! ⚽️Una fiesta completa desde el 🏟️Estadio Ciudad de México 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/0Pe0r43uYT
— Raul Gutierrez🇲🇽 (@raulgtzoficial) June 11, 2026
Shakira cantando en la inauguración del Mundial 2026#MundialRTVE #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/N5TNcIY27Y
— sugar 🍃 (@sugarcriminal) June 11, 2026
¡Oye mi amor! 🎸🎶
Así fue como Maná encendió la inauguración del #Mundial2026 con uno de sus más grandes éxitos.
¿Qué te pareció? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/rBjYGTOz1l
— Imagen Poblana (@ImagenPoblana) June 11, 2026
Kicking off in style 🤩
The @FIFAWorldCup opening ceremony in Mexico City was special! pic.twitter.com/HvBBvhyjM9
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) June 11, 2026
‘Dai Dai’ is Shakira’s third official World Cup song, after 2010’s ‘Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)’ and 2014’s ‘Dare (La La La)’.
There will also be opening ceremonies tomorrow (June 12) in Canada and the US, with Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara and Michael Bublé playing the former and Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, Lisa, Rema, and Tyla headlining the latter.
Shakira will also be part of the first ever World Cup Final Halftime Show on July 19 in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, she will be joined by Madonna and BTS for the show.
Noel Gallagher is one who will not be watching the Halftime Show, claiming that he will be “doing the half-time raffle for a leg of lamb” instead.
In other music-related World Cup news, Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds have announced a 30th anniversary re-release of ‘Three Lions’, as England head into another World Cup this summer, and John Barnes has revealed the audio clips from 1990, showing Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne and Peter Beardsley attempting his iconic rap for ‘World in Motion’.
Belle & Sebastian have also shared a buoyant 2026 Scotland World Cup anthem ‘It Only Takes One Lion’, and frontman Stuart Murdoch told NME about his hopes for the team.
