Shakira and Burna Boy Light Up the Azteca as the World Cup Opens in Mexico City

The 2026 World Cup opened in spectacular fashion on June 11 with a vibrant ceremony at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca — staged as the Estadio Ciudad de México for the tournament — about 90 minutes before hosts Mexico kicked off against South Africa.

The show leaned hard into Mexican culture, opening with a dance routine celebrating the country's heritage and a set built around papel picado and folkloric imagery. Mexican rock institution Maná performed "Oye Mi Amor," Danny Ocean delivered his official FIFA World Cup track "Partidazo" alongside dancers from the Ballet Folklórico de México, and Los Ángeles Azules, Belinda and J Balvin kept a strong Latin presence running through the program, according to CBS News.

The headline moment belonged to Shakira and Burna Boy, who performed "Dai Dai," the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup that the pair co-wrote. The Colombian superstar's appearance was the centrepiece of a lineup FIFA had framed as a celebration of the host region's culture.

The on-field story matched the occasion: Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 to send the home crowd into the night happy, as the Azteca became the first stadium ever to host three men's World Cup opening matches.

Shakira is also expected to return at the other end of the tournament, with FIFA indicating she will co-headline the halftime show at the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

Sources: CBS News — World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico features Shakira, followed by a home team victory · Today — Who performed at the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony · FIFA — Shakira and Burna Boy to bring Dai Dai to Mexico City opening ceremony