The 2026 World Cup begins on Thursday, June 11, in Mexico City when Mexico takes on South Africa. 90 minutes before the match kicks off, though, a bit of elite musical talent will take the stage. That includes Shakira and Burna Boy.
They won't be the only talent involved. Joining them in Mexico, one of the three co-hosts of the World Cup, along with the United States and Canada, are Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, and Tyla. The match begins at 3 pm ET (1 pm in the Mexican capital), so the music should begin at 1:30 pm ET.
The music won't stop in Mexico City, however. The opening matches for the home teams in the United States and Canada will get a little help from their musical friends, too. Both of those will take place on Friday, June 12. The match in Toronto takes place at 3 pm ET, and the match in the Los Angeles area for the US team begins at 9 am ET (6 pm PT).
World Cup 2026 kicks off with musical entertainment in Mexico City, Toronto, and Los Angeles
The entertainment in Toronto will be provided 90 minutes ahead of the match by Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé. Canada will then play Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In Inglewood, California, before the United States plays Paraguay, Katy Perry, LISA, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Anitta, and hip-hop icon Future will entertain the masses an hour and a half before the match. That is quite the eclectic mix of musical acts.
Shakira certainly won't be done with the World Cup after she delivers what will likely be a brilliant performance in Mexico City. First of all, her song with Burna Boy, "Dai Dai," is the official anthem of the football event. This is the second time Shakira has had that honor, as she also had the official song for the 2010 World Cup, which was "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)."
Secondly, the Colombian superstar will be part of the halftime entertainment at the World Cup final, which will be held on Sunday, July 19, at what NFL fans know as MetLife Stadium (but due to sponsorship issues, it will be known as New York New Jersey Stadium during the World Cup) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Joining Shakira for the halftime show will be Madonna and BTS. Music is seemingly involved in all high-end sporting events currently, but at least the final of the World Cup promises to be enjoyable.
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