Shakira sings World Cup song "Dai Dai" live at the opening ceremony in Mexico City

Program of the Opening Ceremony

As FIFA announced, the performance will set the stage for an unforgettable opening match. The official statement read: "The eagerly awaited performance will set the tone for an unforgettable opening match, bringing fans from all over the world together for a celebration of football, music, and culture." With this, the world football association emphasizes the event's bridging role between sports and entertainment.

According to FIFA, "Dai Dai" is the official song of this year's World Cup. The title roughly means "Let's go" in Italian. The chorus features the multilingual line: "Dai, dai, iko, dale, allez, let's go!". The lyrics mention several football legends by name, including Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé. Germany is also mentioned in the song as one of the great football nations.

Content and Language of the Song

For Shakira, this is not her first World Cup song. She already contributed the official tournament hit "Waka Waka" to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At the time, the song became a worldwide success and remains one of the most famous football anthems to this day. With "Dai Dai," the singer continues this tradition.

Shakira had previously been announced as one of the artists who would perform at the first-ever halftime show finale of a Football World Cup. The final match will take place on July 19 in the United States. FIFA had announced that the halftime show will celebrate its premiere at a World Cup final this year.

Shakira's History with World Cup Songs

The opening ceremony itself is considered the musical prelude to a month full of games in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. With the selection of the acts, FIFA is putting together a deliberately multicultural program: artists from Colombia, Nigeria, Mexico, and Latin America will share the stage. The mix is intended to underscore the tournament's character as a global sporting event.

Mexico is set as the host of the opening match. The team will face South Africa on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium, playing the first of a total of 104 tournament games. The stadium, which has already hosted two World Cup finals, will be the venue for the celebratory opening.

The opening show also marks the start of the intense phase of World Cup preparations. While participating associations name their squads and play their final test matches, fans' attention increasingly turns to the musical staging. The release of "Dai Dai" and the announcement of the program are considered part of this staging.

According to its own statements, FIFA plans further surprises during the tournament. In addition to the opening concert and the halftime show at the final, other musical contributions around selected matches are possible. Details were not provided at first.