Nigerian music superstar Burna Boy is set to take centre stage on football’s biggest global platform after featuring on the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Colombian pop icon Shakira.
Shakira on Thursday unveiled snippets of the new World Cup anthem titled Dai Dai, with the full track scheduled for release on May 14 ahead of the expanded tournament to be jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The teaser video, posted on Instagram from the iconic Maracanã Stadium, showed Shakira and Burna Boy performing alongside dancers dressed in the colours of participating nations, signalling another fusion of football and global music culture.
For Nigerian fans, Burna Boy’s involvement marks yet another major international milestone for Afrobeats and underlines Nigeria’s growing cultural influence on the world stage. The Grammy-winning artiste becomes one of the few Nigerians to feature prominently in FIFA World Cup musical projects.
The video also paid tribute to past World Cups by displaying official match balls from the 2006, 2010 and 2014 tournaments — editions closely associated with Shakira’s memorable performances.
Shakira’s 2010 World Cup anthem, Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), remains one of the most celebrated football songs in history, especially across Africa, where it became synonymous with the continent’s first-ever hosting of the tournament in South Africa.
The Colombian singer also performed Hips Don’t Lie during ceremonies at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and La La La (Brazil 2014) at the 2014 finals in Brazil.
With Burna Boy now joining the World Cup musical tradition, Nigerian football and entertainment followers will hope the collaboration delivers another global hit capable of matching the enduring popularity of Waka Waka.
