The world’s most celebrated football competition now has an official soundtrack. The recently released signature song by football’s world governing body, FIFA is titled “Dai dai”.
The release comes from a vibrant joint effort of Colombian music icon Shakira, and Nigerian Afrobeats sensation, Damini Ogulu, widely known as Burna Boy.
The song was released via Sony Music Latin last Thursday. The track went live simultaneously on all major streaming platforms. The track captures the energy, passion and global spirit which will define the greatest sport show on earth.
Shakira personally broke the news to her followers on social media, posting: “Dai Dai is here. The @FIFAWorldCup 2026 starts now!”
FIFA followed up with its own announcement on X, describing the song as one that captures the energy, passion and global spirit that will define what it called “the greatest show on earth.”
The song carries meaning far beyond entertainment. All royalties from the track will go towards the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million by the close of the tournament to provide children around the world with access to quality education and football opportunities.
Shakira has pledged to donate her personal share of the royalties to the fund. Sony Music will also contribute by matching the first $250,000 raised with an additional donation.
Lyrically, the song is a love letter to the sport and its history. The artists pay tribute to some of football’s greatest names including Pelé, Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, Romário, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrés Iniesta, David Beckham, Kaká, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Mohamed Salah.
The track also pays homage to nations that have shaped the global game including Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, the United States, England, Germany, France, South Africa, Spain, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands. Woven through the verses are themes of resilience, ambition and unity.
According to Shakira, “Dai Dai” marks a celebrated return to the World Cup stage. She previously delivered “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” for the 2010 tournament in South Africa and “La La La” for the 2014 edition in Brazil.
For Burna Boy, the moment is historic. He becomes only the second Nigerian musician to appear on an official FIFA World Cup song, following Davido who featured on “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)” alongside American singer Trinidad Cardona and Qatari singer AISHA for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The song is part of a growing official FIFA World Cup 2026 album, which already includes tracks such as “Lighter,” “Por Ella,” “Echo” and “Illuminate,” with more singles expected in the weeks ahead as the tournament builds momentum. The music is only one layer of what promises to be an extraordinary event.
Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema is set to headline the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 12. And for the grand finale, football history is about to be made. The 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 will feature a Super Bowl-style halftime show headlined by Shakira, Madonna and K-pop global sensation BTS. The show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, marking the first halftime performance in the history of the FIFA World Cup Final.
The halftime show was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in March 2025, who described it as a historic moment and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world. Infantino also said the World Cup festivities would take over New York’s Times Square on the final weekend.
With 48 teams participating in the largest World Cup ever staged, the tournament kicks off on June 11, 2026, across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
From the opening whistle to the final curtain call, the 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a celebration of sport, music and humanity unlike anything seen before.
