Saturday, 16 May

Shakira releases official 2026 World Cup song 'Dai Dai' with Burna Boy

Sports News
Shakira and Burna Boy collaborate on Dai Dai for the FIFA World Cup

It has arrived.

Shakira's official anthem for the 2026 World Cup is called "Dai Dai," and it features Afrofusion star Burna Boy. After being teased last week with a video from Maracanã Stadium in Brazil, the full song was released on Thursday, May 14.

The infectious track has a message about overcoming hardship to reach the pinnacle of success. The two artists sing in English and Spanish and there are even phrases in Italian, French and Japanese. The song title, "Dai Dai" is Italian for "Let's go" or "Come on." Shakira produced the track herself, and Ed Sheeran is listed as a writer in the Spotify credits.

"All the highs and lows/All the tears and the pain/You been there through it all/Been through it all/Just do it again/Now you got to believe (I believe)/ 'Cause you know what it takes/To be living the dream/At top of your game," Shakira declares with Burna Boy chiming in for the first half of the hook.

"Feel it, got everything you needed/Now bring it like you mean it/Just like you mean it/Dale, no olvides lo que vales/Juega como tú sabes/Como tú sabes," they trade off.

The song then goes on to salute a handful of historic soccer icons like Maradona, Pelé and David Beckham and shouts out a few current stars who are expected to play in the tournament, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. There is also a listing of countries playing in the World Cup, such as the host countries of the United States and Mexico (Canada is not mentioned), Shakira's home country of Colombia, Brazil, France and others.

In a press release, FIFA said royalties from "Dai Dai" will go to the federation's Global Citizen Education Fund. The hope is to raise $100 million by the end of the World Cup in July "to provide children around the world with access to quality education and football opportunities."

Burna Boy is known for his platinum hits "Last Last" and "Ye" as well as "Location" with British rapper Dave. He released his "No Sign of Weakness" album last year and was part of the soundtrack for the "F1" movie.

Fans seem to appreciate the comeback of the World Cup queen. Shakira also sang, "Waka Waka," the official song for the 2010 tournament in South Africa. It is a fan favorite among World Cup anthems.

"THIS IS GENUINELY HEALING MYY EARS," YouTube user pokikartik wrote.

"Shakira saying 'let’s go' in many languages is exactly what we needed!!!" YouTube user denizdemircontent commented.

FIFA previously released "Lighters" featuring Jelly Roll, Carín León and Cirkut, uniting the three host countries of the United States, Mexico and Canada. It was the lead single to a World Cup album and was met with criticism.

Shakira was also tapped to perform at the tournament's first-ever halftime show at the final match, which will be played July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. She will be joined by Madonna and BTS. The Grammy-winner also co-headlined the Super Bowl 54 halftime show with Jennifer Lopez.

On top of preparing for the World Cup show, Shakira is embarking on a global tour starting in June. The mother of two and former wife of Gerard Piqué told USA TODAY that she is more fueled than ever to perform.

"I'm more in love with my career, my profession than ever in my life. I don't know why," she said. "I feel like I'm just starting, which is crazy because I've been doing this for 30 years. I don't know, I'm just passionate and motivated. I feel at my best right now. I feel creative. I feel inspired. Motherhood has done wonders on me and I feel like there's so much to do."

Listen to "Dai Dai" on all streaming services.

Source: usatoday.com