If you needed a sign that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is actually, finally, properly here — this is it. Shakira and Afrobeats icon Burna Boy released “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, on May 14 via Sony Music Latin. FIFA called the track a “vibrant celebration of football, culture and unity” that captures the energy and global spirit of the tournament.
The song is a mashup of their musical worlds — Afrobeats rhythms colliding with Latin pop in a multilingual track sung in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Japanese. The title itself is Italian slang for “let’s go” or “come on,” and the chorus — “Dai dai, Ikó, dale, allez, let’s go!” — was designed to be singable by fans from every corner of the planet.
Shakira produced the track herself, with Ed Sheeran listed as a co-writer in the Spotify credits. The song pays tribute to football legends including Pelé, Maradona, Maldini, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappé, Beckham, Kaká, and Iniesta, while also shouting out competing nations including Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Japan, Korea, and the Netherlands.
Royalties from the song will go directly to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million by the end of the World Cup to fund children’s education and football opportunities worldwide. Shakira has donated her personal royalties entirely to the project, and Sony Music pledged to match the first $250,000 raised.
For Shakira, this is deeply personal territory. Her 2010 World Cup anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” earned the Guinness World Record for the most-streamed FIFA World Cup song on Spotify, surpassing one billion streams — and that record still stands as of early 2025. Burna Boy, meanwhile, becomes the second Nigerian artist to feature prominently on a FIFA World Cup soundtrack, following Davido’s appearance on “Hayya Hayya” at the 2022 Qatar tournament — and his inclusion reflects Nigeria’s growing dominance over the sound of global pop culture.
The teaser that preceded the release was filmed at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro — arguably the most storied football stadium on earth — where Shakira danced at centre field while a preview of the opening verse played. That clip alone generated millions of views before the full song even dropped. Shakira will also co-headline the World Cup Final halftime show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium alongside Madonna and BTS. This is her tournament. She knows it. And so does everyone else.
