![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://owurachy.com/shakira-opens-up-on-why-she-featured-burna-boy-on-2026-world-cup-song-dai-dai/&media=https://owurachy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Burna-Boy-and-Shakira-with-an-electrifying-performance-at-the-World-Cup-Final-halftime-show-with2.jpg&description=Global music superstar Shakira has opened up about why she teamed up with Nigerian Afrobeats icon Burna Boy for the official 2026 FIFA World Cup song, Dai Dai. Speaking during an interview on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, the "Waka Waka" hitmaker revealed that she was looking for a strong male voice to match the deep, energetic vibe of the World Cup. According to the Colombian singer, the song is heavily built on Afrobeats rhythms with a mix of Caribbean and R&B sounds, making Burna Boy the exact artist she needed for the project.){kind=link}
Global music superstar Shakira has opened up about why she teamed up with Nigerian Afrobeats icon Burna Boy for the official 2026 FIFA World Cup song, Dai Dai.
Speaking during an interview on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, the “Waka Waka” hitmaker revealed that she was looking for a strong male voice to match the deep, energetic vibe of the World Cup.
According to the Colombian singer, the song is heavily built on Afrobeats rhythms with a mix of Caribbean and R&B sounds, making Burna Boy the exact artist she needed for the project.
“Once I had the song, I felt that I really needed a male voice in it. The World Cup carries a big male energy, you know? So I asked myself, who can give me that very masculine voice in an Afrobeat setting?” Shakira explained during the interview.
She also shared that she has been a fan of the “African Giant” for a long time and always wanted to work with him. When she reached out, Burna Boy readily agreed to hop on the track.
However, getting his verse took a bit of patience. Shakira confessed that she had to wait for about 20 days to receive his recorded verse and was almost losing hope, thinking he might not deliver.
“I was waiting for 20 days for him to send something, and I thought maybe he wasn’t going to do it anymore. But then he sent his magic, and it was just absolutely perfect. His voice works so well on this song—I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it,” she added.
The duo made history when they performed “Dai Dai” together live at the World Cup opening ceremony on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
They later closed out the tournament with another big performance alongside Uganda’s Ghetto Kids during the halftime show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The huge success of “Dai Dai” marks another massive win for Afrobeats, showing once again how African music is taking over the biggest stages in the world.
This official music video for “Dai Dai” showcases the electrifying collaboration between Shakira and Burna Boy for the tournament.