The official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to run from 11 June to 19 July, has been unveiled.
The song, titled “Dai Dai”, features Nigerian Grammy-winning singer Damini “Burna Boy” Ogulu, alongside Colombian pop star Shakira.
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Shakira unveiled the high-profile collaboration on Thursday through a joint Instagram post with Global Citizen and FIFA.
In the post, the 49-year-old singer, dressed in a royal blue miniskirt and a bright yellow top, held a football.
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She announced that both the song and its accompanying music video will premiere on 14 May.
“Dai Dai”
In the one-minute teaser clip, Shakira and Burna Boy sang, “You from the day you were born/ here in the space you belong …what broke you once, made you strong,” while appearing inside the iconic Maracanã Stadium.
The video later transitioned to aerial shots of the stadium, accompanied by the phrase, “We are ready.”
The track delivers a vibrant fusion of reggaetón and Afrobeats, blending Shakira’s signature Latin pop sound with Burna Boy’s energetic style.
The release marks Shakira’s second official FIFA World Cup anthem, following the success of “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, the official song for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
She also performed “La La La (Brazil 2014)” as one of the theme songs for the 2014 tournament and delivered the performance during the closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
The Colombian singer previously entertained football fans at the 2006 World Cup closing ceremony in Germany, where she performed her global hit “Hips Don’t Lie.”
Backstory
This wasn’t the first time a Nigerian singer has featured on an official FIFA World Cup song.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Davido was featured on the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 alongside American star Trinidad Cardona and Qatari sensation Aisha.
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Davido featured on the song “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)”, while Qatar-based filmmaker Ahmed Al Baker directed its official music video.
Also, Nigerian musicians performed at the tournament.
This newspaper reported that in 2022, Kizz Daniel thrilled more than 50,000 football fans in Qatar with performances of his hit song “Buga” and other tracks.
Kizz Daniel’s appearance became one of the standout moments of the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival held at Al Bidda Park in the heart of Doha.
During the same tournament, Patoranking also performed.
A total of 48 teams are competing in the tournament, including Colombia, Shakira’s home country, while Nigeria failed to qualify.
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