…as Burna Boy, Shakira light up the stadium
By Benjamin Njoku
Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy and Colombian icon Shakira opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday with a stellar performance that’s still trending across Mexico.
The duo performed “Dai Dai”, the tournament’s official song, at a high-octane ceremony in the historic Azteca Stadium. Their set brought roars from over 80,000 fans and set the tone ahead of Mexico vs South Africa in the first match.
This year’s World Cup is the biggest ever. 48 countries will play 104 matches across 16 cities. The curtain-raiser featured a giant World Cup trophy, fireworks, and dancers filling the renovated stadium that hosted the 1970 and 1986 finals.
Mexican pop-rock band Mana opened the show. Venezuelan star Danny Ocean performed alongside dancers in traditional Mexican dress, leading into “Por Ella” by Belinda and Los Ángeles Azules. Colombian hitmaker J Balvin later brought Latin energy with “Qué Calor”, “Una a la Vez” with Ryan Castro, and “I Like It” with Cardi B and Bad Bunny, all in Mexico’s red and green.
Then came the finale. Shakira, in yellow and purple with dark sunglasses, and Burna Boy, rocking jersey jackets, took the stage. Burna Boy was on fire with signature dance steps that had the world talking, while Shakira matched his energy. Their performance echoed Afrobeats’ global dominance and opened the stadium for kickoff.
For the first time in nearly 100 years, the World Cup is jointly hosted by three nations: Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
Meanwhile, Burna Boy wasn’t the only Nigerian superstar on the bill. Davido joined him too, hitting the stage at the World Cup countdown concert held Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Afrobeats star wore a custom black leather moto jacket designed by stylist Hollyandroo. Pinned across it were the names of more than 40 school children and teachers abducted in Ogbomosho, Oyo State. Across the back, “Bring Them Home” stood out in white graffiti-style lettering.
The statement piece instantly became one of the most talked-about moments of the night, which marked the official countdown to Thursday’s World Cup kickoff.
His appearance coincided with FIFA Sound rolling out its biggest music project yet: an 18-track official World Cup album. Davido features on “No Place Like Home” alongside Nelly Furtado and Major Lazer.
Fans expected music. But they got a powerful message too. While the beats dropped, Davido’s wardrobe did the talking, turning global attention to the children and teachers still missing in Oyo State.
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Source: vanguardngr.com