The Colombian artist Shakira joined Nigerian singer Burna Boy to create the new anthem that will resonate during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
On the night of May 14, the artists officially presented the song “Dai Dai”, in which they pay tribute to world soccer icons, such as Pelé, Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, which captured the attention of fans of this sport.
The song, which lasts three minutes and 45 seconds, features a catchy musical mix. According to Billboard“Dai Dai” mixes rhythms such as Afrobeats, dance-pop and reggaeton, characteristic of both artists.
Shakira, known for unforgettable anthems like “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” and “La la la,” returns with a song faithful to the spirit of soccer. The surprise of this edition was the participation of singer Ed Sheeran in composing the lyrics of the 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem.
With great influence from Afrobeats, “Dai Dai” transmits a hopeful message for soccer stars and fans. In addition, this proposal will seek to raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
This song mixes languages such as English, Spanish and Italian, according to international media, and seeks to allude to soccer fever on a global scale. The composers decided to highlight an expression widely used in this sport: “let’s go”, pronounced in Italian as “dai dai”; In addition, the Japanese pronunciation is used iko and the English expression “Let’s go”, Caracol highlights.
“You’ve been here since the day you were born. But here, in this place, is where you belong,” Shakira sings at the beginning of the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup.
“When there is a will, there is a way. You are the owner of that fire. No one can take it away from you,” resonates in another of the verses that invite footballers to give their all on the field.
In part of the song, the artists pay tribute to world football figures, including Pelé, Maradona, Maldini, Romário, Cristiano Ronaldo, el Pibe, Iniesta, Beckham, Kaká, Messi, Mbappé and Salah.
In addition, countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, the United States, England, Germany, France, South Africa, Spain, Mexico, Japan and Korea are mentioned.
The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11 and will be the largest edition organized by FIFA, with 104 matches and the participation of 48 teams in 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.