The official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” has been released, featuring Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy and Colombian global icon Shakira in a historic collaboration that blends global rhythms and languages to celebrate football’s unifying power. This marks Burna Boy’s first appearance on an official FIFA World Cup anthem and Shakira’s second, following her 2010 hit “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” from the South Africa tournament. The song, which runs for nearly four minutes, fuses Afrobeats, dance-pop, and reggaetón into an energetic chorus sung in five languages — Japanese, Spanish, French, English, and Italian — with the rallying cry “Dai, dai, ikou, dale, allez, let’s go.”
Shakira opens the track with the heartfelt line, “You knew from the day you were born, that here in this place you belong,” setting a tone of belonging and passion. Burna Boy follows with a message of determination: “Go follow your desire, where there’s a will there’s a way.” The lyrics pay tribute to football legends like Maradona, Maldini, Ronaldo, Beckham, Kaká, and Messi, while also highlighting participating nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the United States, and the Netherlands. The song is not only a celebration of the sport but also a tribute to the global community that comes together through football.
Royalties from “Dai Dai” will be directed to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million by the end of the tournament to support quality education and football access for children worldwide. This initiative underscores the tournament’s broader mission beyond the pitch, linking music, sport, and social impact. The anthem’s release coincides with a surge in African representation at the 2026 World Cup, with a record 10 African teams qualifying — including Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, South Africa, and DR Congo.
Africa’s presence extends beyond the pitch and into the opening ceremony, where Nigerian artist Rema and South African star Tyla will perform alongside international acts like Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, and LISA at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on 12 June. The tournament kicks off on 11 June at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and concludes on 19 July at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where Shakira will co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show with Madonna and BTS. With “Dai Dai” set to soundtrack the event, the anthem is poised to become a global anthem of unity and excitement.
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