May 24, 2026 10:57am IST
Shakira Kicks Off The 2026 World Cup Fever, Drops The Official Video ‘Dai Dai’
Cometh the FIFA World Cup, cometh another banger track by none other than Shakira. Having had the entire world groove to the beat with ‘Waka Waka’ back in 2010, the singer has teamed up with Afrobeats icon Burna Boy and dropped ‘Dai Dai,’ the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. What’s more, in an unexpected collab, the Colombian superstar has also teamed up with none other than Ed Sheeran for the song. Together, the duo has composed and written the lyrics alongside Ahmed Saghir, John Bellion and Alexander Castillo Vasquez.
With as many as 48 countries competing for the biggest prize in football this June–July across the USA, Mexico, and Canada, the track wastes no time in setting the mood. Directed by Hannah Lux Davis and shot in Miami, the four-minute visual opens with soccer stars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Alphonso Davies, Luis Díaz, Santiago Giménez, Harry Kane, Takefusa Kubo, Jamal Musiala, Christian Pulisic, Rodri and Vinícius Júnior taking the field to declare, “We are ready” for Shakira.
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The clip begins with the “Whenever, Wherever” singer perched atop Mexico City’s iconic Angel of Independence, before transitioning to scenes of her dancing in a desert landscape alongside a group of African children as she sings, “Knew from the day you were born / Here in this place, you belong / You’ve been this brave all along / What broke you once made you strong.” Burna Boy then appears for his verse, blending Afrobeats and Latin rhythms to give music fans the best of both worlds, while Shakira is seen standing atop a glowing globe amid a starry sky. She later steps into a soccer stadium alongside female dancers dressed in outfits representing flags from countries participating in this summer’s tournament. The clip culminates with archival footage from past World Cup matches as Shakira shouts out the competing nations — such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the U.S., and the Netherlands — alongside some of the sport’s greatest legends, including Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, Romário, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Kaká, Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi.
Sheeran himself revealed the news on his social media handles. “Thanks to Shakira for involving me in the writing of this. I can’t wait for the World Cup!” the Shape of You singer wrote. In response, the Colombian star immediately reaffirmed their creative chemistry, stating: “It’s always a pleasure working with you.”
Burna Boy, too, shared his thoughts on the song, saying, “The World Cup is one of the few things the entire world experiences together. Football and music speak the same language. They bring people together no matter where you’re from, and being part of this moment through music means a lot to me.”
Audiences did get a glimpse of the visuals as well last week, with Shakira announcing the track straight from the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The four-time Grammy winner turned up in a sporty look that included a blue skirt and bright yellow top and was then seen dancing on the field alongside a group of dancers. Despite it being such a few seconds, the song’s peppy beat was enough to get the party started. Going much beyond football, music, and entertainment, ‘Dai Dai’ looks to transcend boundaries and genres and become as much a movement as it is a song.
Football fans will get to see her perform this song live for the very first time as she is set to headline the half-time show, alongside Madonna and BTS, at the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. This won’t be the first time she’ll be performing at the World Cup. Known as the Queen of the World Cup, Shakira performed “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Bamboo” at the closing ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Four years later came the anthem of all anthems as she was tapped to create the official FIFA World Cup song and gave the world “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” and performed the hit at both the opening and closing ceremonies in South Africa. She returned in 2014 to perform “La La La (Brazil 2014)” with Carlinhos Brown at the closing ceremony in Brazil. The song was featured as a track on the official FIFA album.
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