Burna Boy and Shakira unveil the FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem, titled ‘Dai Dai’
Burna Boy and Shakira unveil the FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem “Dai Dai,” seamlessly merging global languages with the spirit of football celebration.
Burna Boy and Shakira have unveiled “Dai Dai,” the official anthem for the FIFA World Cup 2026, highlighting a significant collaboration between the Nigerian Afrobeats sensation and the Colombian artist.
The track, running for almost four minutes, seamlessly blended Afrobeats, dance-pop, and reggaetón, featuring a multilingual chorus in Japanese, Spanish, French, English, and Italian, with the chant “Dai, dai, ikou, dale, allez, let’s go.” It acted as a worldwide call to action focused on the culture of football and the spirit of unity.
Shakira began the song with a thoughtful verse on the theme of belonging, and Burna Boy responded with lyrics that inspire ambition and determination. The duo also mentioned football icons like Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Kaká, and Lionel Messi, as well as countries including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the United States, and the Netherlands.
Royalties from “Dai Dai” were allocated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which sought to raise $100 million by the conclusion of the tournament to enhance access to education and football for children around the globe.
Africa’s presence at the 2026 World Cup was noteworthy, as a record 10 African teams qualified. These teams included Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, South Africa, and DR Congo.
Nigerian singer Rema and South African star Tyla were set to perform at the opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on 12 June, alongside international artists such as Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, and LISA.
The tournament was scheduled to begin on 11 June at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and wrap up on 19 July at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where Shakira was set to co-headline the inaugural FIFA World Cup final halftime show with Madonna and BTS. “Dai Dai” was anticipated to play a significant role in the tournament’s global soundtrack.
