Shakira and Burna Boy to perform 'Dai Dai' at 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico
via Le Matin1 min read
Shakira and Burna Boy are set to perform "Dai Dai" at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City. The FIFA statement indicated that this highly anticipated show will kick off an unforgettable competition, uniting fans globally to celebrate football, music, and culture. The ceremony at Mexico City's stadium will begin 90 minutes before the opening match. The event will also feature international music artists such as Alejandro Fern谩ndez, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los 脕ngeles Azules, Man谩, and Tyla, who will perform songs from the official World Cup album. Mexico will host the first of three opening ceremonies for the competition, with the other two taking place in Canada and the United States. Additional artists are expected to be announced soon. "Dai Dai" is the official song of the 2026 World Cup and will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million by the end of the competition to provide children worldwide with access to quality education and football activities. Shakira is also scheduled to headline the halftime show of the World Cup final on July 19.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
During the 2026 World Cup, several footballers saw a significant increase in their social media popularity. Achraf Hakimi gained 1,850,521 new Instagram followers, an increase of 7.9%, bringing his total to 25,325,369. A sponsored post on his account could now be worth approximately $253,254. Erling Haaland led the tournament in new followers with 31.8 million, a 78.3% increase. Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha was a surprise second, gaining 29.5 million new followers, a more than 93,400% increase. England's Jude Bellingham was third with nearly 11.9 million new followers. Norway topped the team rankings with over 34.2 million new followers, largely due to Haaland. Cape Verde was second, ahead of Argentina and Brazil. In the final phase of the tournament, between the semi-finals and the final from July 16-20, Lamine Yamal saw the biggest growth with nearly 4 million new followers, surpassing Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. Ferran Torres, who scored a decisive goal in the final, also significantly increased his Instagram popularity. These figures from MyBettingSites.co.uk highlight the World Cup's impact on players' digital recognition beyond their on-field performance.
Badou Zaki, former coach of the Atlas Lions, has signed a one-year contract to lead the Jordanian national football team, known as the Nashama. His official presentation and that of his technical staff are expected soon. Zaki follows two Moroccan predecessors, Jamal Sellami, who led the Nashama to their first World Cup qualification and Arab Cup final, and Houcine Ammouta, who guided Jordan to their first Asian Cup final. These achievements highlight the influence of Moroccan football expertise on Jordanian football. Zaki, a prominent figure in Moroccan football, was a goalkeeper in the historic 1986 World Cup campaign in Mexico and won the African Player of the Year award the same year. As a coach, he led the Atlas Lions to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations final in Tunisia and has managed several Botola clubs, including Wydad Casablanca and FUS Rabat. His international coaching experience also includes national teams for Sudan and Niger. Zaki's primary objective with Jordan is to win the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled from January 7 to February 5 in Saudi Arabia.
Issa Diop is reportedly close to joining Ipswich Town, a newly promoted Premier League club. Fulham and Ipswich have reached an agreement for a permanent transfer of the Moroccan defender, which is expected to be worth nearly 10 million euros for Fulham. Diop, who has made 173 Premier League appearances with West Ham and Fulham, has reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with Ipswich and is awaiting a medical examination. Meanwhile, Redouane Halhal, another defender, is considering leaving KV Mechelen for a more competitive league. French and Italian clubs are reportedly interested in the 23-year-old, who played 33 matches last season and participated in two World Cup games for the Atlas Lions, against Haiti and Canada. No official offers have been made for Halhal yet.