Article by Romeo Ene – Published on Thursday, 11 June 2026 23:24 / Updated on Thursday, 11 June 2026 23:26
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The final tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with the final taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Along with Shakira, Danny Ocean, J. Balvin, Belinda and Lila Downs also performed at the opening ceremony.
PHOTO. Shakira reacted after the 2026 World Cup recital
The Colombian artist brought the crowd to their feet at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where she performed the official anthem of the competition, “Dai Dai”.
Shortly after the show, she published a message on social media calling for peace, unity and solidarity.
“May this 2026 World Cup take place in peace and be a source of joy and unity for people around the world. Above all, let's not forget our little champions who are waiting for opportunities, like access to education, to succeed in life. We are ready!” Shakira wrote.
After the singer's artistic moment, a joke went viral on social media: “Shakira has been to the World Cup more times than Italy in the last 20 years.”
The irony refers to the fact that the artist took to the stage of a World Cup in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2026, while Italy missed the qualification in the last three editions of the competition, in 2018, 2022 and 2026.
Before the anthems, the flags of all 48 countries participating in the final tournament were brought onto the field for another small ceremony to honor the qualified national teams, opened by Salma Hayek. And it all ended with Andrea Bocelli and EJAE singing “DNA”.
LIVE standings in group A from the World Championship
