Shakira on her 'unbreakable' bond with soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Shakira and the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Shakira is back at the center of global football, and this time the stakes are higher than ever. The Colombian artist is the lead voice behind the official FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem, and according to Billboard, she will co-headline the first-ever World Cup final halftime show alongside Madonna and BTS on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.

'Dai Dai' with Burna Boy

In May, Shakira teamed up with Nigerian star Burna Boy to release "Dai Dai," this year's official World Cup song. The track blends Afrobeats, dance-pop, world beats, and reggaeton into something that feels genuinely suited to its moment. The message, aimed at children who have been told their dreams are too big, avoids the usual tournament-anthem bombast in favor of something more grounded.

One detail worth highlighting: 100 percent of the song's royalties will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which provides education and soccer resources to children around the world. That is a meaningful commitment, not a footnote.

A second World Cup chapter

"Dai Dai" marks the second time Shakira has been tapped for an official FIFA World Cup song. The first was "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a track that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in July 2010 and reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the same period. It also spent 42 weeks at No. 1 on Latin Digital Song Sales, the longest-leading title on that chart for Shakira.

She described her relationship with the sport to People as something "unbreakable," and added that this edition of the tournament is "going to be all about bringing people together in this very sensitive moment in time, socially and politically." Hard to argue with that framing.