Shakira, Maná, Andrea Bocelli and a shock look by Salma Hayek lit up the World Cup opening ceremony forward of Mexico’s 2-0 victory over South Africa on Friday.
Shakira carried out Dai Dai, the event’s official tune, with Burna Boy.
The Colombian star had a success with Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) from the 2010 World Cup, which coincidentally kicked off with the very same fixture in South Africa, and now seeks to attain once more.
An excellent World Cup tune, Shakira earlier informed The Associated Press, “needs to definitely have rhythm. It has to be rhythmic. It has to make people want to dance. And it has to be an anthem as well. It has to make people want to sing along in unison, sing out loud at the top of their lungs.”
Shakira has carried out at earlier World Cups, too: 2006 in Germany, 2010 in South Africa, and 2014 in Brazil.
She can even carry out on the first half-time present of a World Cup last on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with Madonna and BTS. Mexico, the United States and Canada are co-internet hosting the 48-workforce event.
Lila Downs greeted followers and gamers in Spanish, English, and the Indigenous languages Mixtec and Nahuatl.
“People of the world, welcome to Mexico,” mentioned Downs, who wore a white Indigenous huipil with a lilac edge.
“Mexico welcomes you with smiles from our heart, we are a nation of diversity, heritage and pride in ancestral lands where movement and ritual spirit endure.”
Downs, a singer-songwriter, was born in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca. Her mother is from the Mixtec folks, and her dad is American with Scottish heritage. But her coronary heart is inexperienced, white, and purple in the case of the ball.
“It’s a great honour for me to represent my beautiful and diverse country,” Downs mentioned in an interview with The AP.
“Of course I’m going to root for Mexico’s team, Viva Mexico!”
Maná made the gang go wild with “Oye Mi Amor,” as pre-Hispanic dancers surrounded them, shifting their head feathers to the beat of rock music, whereas tens of hundreds of followers shouted the lyrics collectively.
The band was began in 1986 and has bought over 40 million information.
Mexican cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules sang Por Ella with Belinda, which is without doubt one of the most enjoyable songs to bop to from FIFA’s official World Cup album.
The band was began within the mid-70s by the Mejía Avante brothers. They are from Iztapalapa, a neighborhood in Mexico City that is recognized for its working-class group. So their battle cry is. “From Iztapalapa to the world!”
J Balvin had a dynamic efficiency
He started by driving a cardboard automobile with Que Calor, then was joined by Ryan Castro for Una A La Vez, and ended with I Like It, a tune he first launched with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.
The Colombian star has carried out on worldwide phases earlier than. In 2020, he carried out in the course of the Super Bowl half-time present as a visitor performer with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
Danny Ocean did a tune known as Partidazo as a part of the FIFA album. The ocean was surrounded by dancers carrying a contemporary model of the standard clothes from the Mexican state of Jalisco, with hoodies added on high.
Two Labubus have been seen carrying soccer jerseys following the presentation by Los Ángeles Azules and Belinda. One brown Labubu had a jersey with the quantity 10 and the phrases “The Monsters” on it, and the opposite one wore a shirt with the 2026 World Cup emblem.
Actress and producer Salma Hayek, who’s a giant fan of soccer, gave a brief welcome speech in the course of the first official occasion of a World Cup, the place the flags of all 48 collaborating nations have been displayed.
“Mexicans are very honoured that this is where the first match of this wonderful soccer tradition that unites us all begins,” Hayek, who’s initially from the Mexican state of Veracruz, mentioned in Spanish.
“Long live Mexico and long live football!”
Hayek has been named as an envoy for the 2026 World Cup
Italian singer Andrea Bocelli and South Korean artist EJAE sang DNA, which is the official tune of the event, together with French DJ and music producer David Guetta in the course of the flag parade.
Bocelli sang for over 130,000 folks in April on the Zócalo in Mexico City and additionally carried out Nessun Dorma on the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in February at San Siro.
EJAE is effectively-recognized for voicing the character Rumi within the film KPop Demon Hunters and for being one of many composers of the Oscar-winning tune Golden from the animated movie.
Tyla and Alejandro Fernández have been those chosen to sing the nationwide anthems of South Africa and Mexico earlier than the sport began.
In 2024, Tyla received the primary Grammy award for greatest African music efficiency, making her the youngest African artist to ever win a Grammy.
Fernández has spent his life centered on regional Mexican music. The so-known as Potrillo is the son of the late well-known singer Vicente Fernández. On FIFA’s album, Fernández sings Mi México Lindo.