Shakira and Burna Boy light up first World Cup final halftime show with ‘Dai Dai’

The first-ever dedicated halftime show at a men’s FIFA World Cup final has raised more than $50m for global education after Shakira and Burna Boy delivered a high-octane performance of the tournament anthem “Dai Dai” in New York/New Jersey.

The 11-minute spectacle, staged during the interval of the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on 19 July, marked an unprecedented shift in how football’s biggest game uses its global audience.

Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, the show mixed star power, fundraising and a carefully choreographed message of unity – across continents, cultures and generations.

‘Queen of World Cup anthems’ returns

The atmosphere inside the 80,000-capacity arena surged when Shakira – long associated with World Cup music thanks to 2010’s “Waka Waka” – stepped barefoot onto the pitch in a shredded pink-and-yellow dress.

Her trademark hip movements and sharp chest isolations drew a huge roar from the crowd, as children danced beside her in a routine designed to underline the show’s focus on youth and opportunity.

Shakira, who sits on the board of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, has used previous tournaments to highlight social causes and framed this performance in similarly universal terms.

“Music is the universal language,” she said in statements before the event – a line that echoed through both the choreography and the crowd’s reaction.

Burna Boy brings Afrobeats to the world stage

The tone shifted again with the arrival of Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy, whose commanding vocals and swaggering stage presence drove the performance into its highest gear.

Sharing the stage with Shakira, he helped launch “Dai Dai” into a full-stadium singalong. The track, released earlier in 2026, had already become the sonic backdrop of the tournament.

With its refrain “Dai dai iko, Dale ale lets go!”, the anthem had racked up more than 800 million streams across digital platforms by the time of the final and had been played before all 104 matches of the expanded competition.

Burna Boy described his role as both symbolic and weighty, calling the chance to represent Africa on football’s biggest stage a “privilege and responsibility”, and stressing that the World Cup remains one of the few events capable of drawing the planet together.

A visual and musical celebration of unity

On the pitch, dancers in vivid costumes spiralled around a multi-coloured stage design, while supporters from across the globe – including fans from hosts USA, Canada and Mexico – joined in from the stands.

The performance was conceived as a live manifestation of the 2026 World Cup’s central theme of unity across three host nations and 48 competing teams.

Shakira’s Latin pop and Caribbean-inflected rhythms meshed with Burna Boy’s Afrobeats grooves to create what organisers hoped would be an intercultural anthem as much as a commercial hit.

For many inside the stadium and watching worldwide, the set became the emotional centrepiece of an experimental halftime format, designed both to entertain and to drive donations for education and grassroots football projects.

Star-studded cast, mixed critical reaction

The Shakira–Burna Boy segment was part of a broader, fast-paced show that also featured Madonna, K-pop supergroup BTS and Justin Bieber, as well as a comic cameo from the fictional Ted Lasso.

The finale brought together the PS22 Chorus, Coldplay, conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Muppets in a softer closing sequence aimed at families and younger viewers.

Some critics argued the medley-style structure felt rushed and at times chaotic, with too many quick transitions between acts. Others questioned whether such a large-scale production risked overshadowing the match itself.

However, there was broad agreement that Shakira and Burna Boy’s joint performance stood apart – praised for its cohesion, energy and clarity of message in the middle of an otherwise densely packed programme.

Legacy beyond the final whistle

By full-time in New Jersey, organisers said over $50m had already been pledged through ticket-linked contributions and associated campaigns to support children’s education and football projects around the world.

“Dai Dai” has dominated charts and fuelled fan celebrations throughout the tournament, reinforcing football’s ability to act as a cultural as well as sporting phenomenon.

For Shakira, the night strengthened her reputation as the go-to performer for World Cup showpieces. For Burna Boy, it underlined his status as one of Africa’s most influential contemporary artists, with reach far beyond his home continent.

While debate will continue over whether the new halftime format should become a permanent fixture, the 2026 final will be remembered for more than Spain v Argentina.

In 11 minutes of sound, colour and choreography, Shakira and Burna Boy turned a historic first into a statement about diversity, dance and the enduring power of the world’s game to bring people together.