Shakira Leads Opening Ceremony as FIFA World Cup Kicks Off in Mexico City

The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kicked off Thursday with an opening celebration in Mexico City, bringing together star-studded performances and highly anticipated soccer matchups.

More than 80,000 fans took to the Estadio Azteca stadium, where Colombian pop star Shakira performed at one of the three opening ceremonies.

The 49-year-old was joined on stage by Nigerian artist Burna Boy to perform the official World Cup anthem, “Dai Dai,” ahead of the first match between Mexico and South Africa. The home team won, 2-0.

Also performing were popular artists J Balvin, Belinda, Alejandro Fernández, Lila Downs, and Danny Ocean, among others.

The tournament will run through July 19 across three host nations: Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The 23rd edition of the event marks the largest so far in history, featuring 48 national teams playing 104 matches throughout 16 cities.

Also on opening day, Czechia will face off against South Korea at Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico. On Friday, Canada will play Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, while the U.S. opens against Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., just south of Los Angeles.

In May, FIFA announced that its conclusion at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will feature its first-ever halftime entertainment show, with Shakira, Madonna, and K-pop boy group BTS co-headlining the concert.

FIFA executives said the decision was made in an effort to expand cultural reach and create a unifying live experience among soccer, music, and social impact.

“Madonna, Shakira, and BTS are global icons whose music transcends borders and generations, and we are proud to welcome them to the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a statement.

The performance will also support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative dedicated to education efforts and soccer for children across more than 200 nations. Through the World Cup, the project aims to raise over $100 million in donations.

“I’ve spent my life doing two things—making songs and building schools,” Shakira said at the time. “At the FIFA World Cup, those two paths come together.”

“Standing alongside Madonna and BTS, I’ll be performing ‘Dai Dai,’ the song I created for this World Cup and for the kids around the world we will reach with the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund,” Shakira continued. “My hope is that on the world’s biggest stage, the importance of investing in children’s education steals the show!”

Shakira, a board member of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, already holds close ties with World Cup history, after her 2010 anthem “Waka Waka” became one of the sport’s defining songs.