The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony takes place on Thursday, 11 June 2026, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with Colombian icon Shakira and Afrobeats star Burna Boy headlining the first of three official opening ceremonies across the tournament’s three host nations.
Shakira and Burna Boy will perform Dai Dai, the official tournament song, in what will be the Colombian star’s first World Cup stage appearance in over a decade.
As reported by FIFA, the ceremony begins at 12:30 ET, 90 minutes ahead of the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, the first of 104 games in the largest World Cup edition ever held.
Who is performing at the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony
Joining Shakira and Burna Boy are Colombian artists J Balvin and Ryan Castro, Mexican acts Maná, Belinda, Alejandro Fernández, Lila Downs and Los Ángeles Azules, and South African star Tyla.
The ceremony also features the debut live performance of DNA, the official tournament anthem, performed by Megan Thee Stallion, David Guetta, EJAE and Andrea Bocelli.
This will be Shakira’s first World Cup stage appearance since her iconic performance of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) at the 2010 tournament in South Africa, which became one of the most-watched World Cup performances of all time.
Her return to the World Cup stage comes 16 years later and on a different continent, but the booking signals FIFA’s intention to use Latin music as the sonic identity of a tournament hosted across North America.
For African football supporters, the opening day carries added significance, as both South Africa and Nigeria are competing in the group stage.
Burna Boy’s headline slot at the ceremony represents one of the most prominent moments for African music on the global stage in 2026.
A historic venue for a record-breaking World Cup
Estadio Azteca becomes the first venue in history to host World Cup matches at three separate tournaments, having previously staged games at Mexico 1970 and Mexico 1986.
This year’s tournament is also the largest in history, with 48 national teams competing across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The expanded format means the group stage alone features 72 matches, with the knockout bracket running from 2 July through to the final on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
It is the first time the World Cup has been co-hosted by three nations, and the first time the tournament has returned to North America since the United States hosted it alone in 1994.
What to expect when the World Cup 2026 ceremony begins
Following the opening ceremony, Mexico will face South Africa in the first match of Group A at Estadio Azteca, kicking off at 13:00 local Mexico City time.
The day’s second fixture sees South Korea take on Czechia at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.
Results from today’s games will set the early tone for Group A and shape the knockout permutations that both teams will be working towards from the first whistle.
