Shakira is preparing to return to the biggest stage in global football, and according to the Colombian superstar, her connection with the FIFA World Cup remains as strong as ever. With her new single “Dai Dai,” a headline appearance at the historic halftime show of the 2026 World Cup Final, and a relationship with the tournament that spans more than a decade, Shakira is once again becoming one of the defining faces of football’s biggest celebration.

For millions of people around the world, Shakira is synonymous with chart-topping hits, electrifying performances, and a career that has successfully crossed generations and continents. Yet beyond music, another passion has become inseparable from her public identity: football. Over the years, her name has become deeply linked with the FIFA World Cup, transforming what began as a musical collaboration into one of the most recognizable relationships between a global artist and a sporting event.

As anticipation builds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Shakira once again finds herself at the center of the conversation. This time, her involvement goes far beyond contributing music to the tournament. She will not only perform the official World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” alongside Burna Boy, but she is also set to participate in the first-ever halftime show during a FIFA World Cup Final, a groundbreaking addition that is expected to attract one of the largest television audiences in entertainment history.

For Shakira, however, the significance of the event extends far beyond ratings, headlines, or another major performance. She has repeatedly spoken about the unique power of football to unite people across borders, cultures, and languages. In a world often divided by politics, conflict, and social tensions, she believes the World Cup remains one of the few occasions capable of bringing billions of people together around a shared emotional experience.

That philosophy became a guiding principle behind “Dai Dai,” her new collaboration with Burna Boy. The song blends global influences and multicultural sounds while delivering a message centered on perseverance, hope, and self-belief. According to Shakira, the track was created with younger generations in mind, encouraging children and aspiring dreamers to continue pursuing goals that may initially seem impossible.

The message is deeply personal for the singer. Growing up in Colombia before becoming one of the most successful Latin artists in history, Shakira understands the challenges that often accompany ambitious dreams. Her journey required overcoming cultural barriers, industry skepticism, and countless obstacles before achieving worldwide recognition. Because of that experience, she believes stories of determination remain as important today as ever.

Her relationship with the World Cup stretches back much further than the upcoming tournament. In 2010, Shakira became permanently linked to football history through “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” a song that evolved into one of the most successful and recognizable World Cup anthems ever recorded. More than a decade later, it remains one of the defining songs of international sport and continues to be celebrated by football fans around the world.

The impact of that tournament extended beyond music and into her personal life. During the 2010 World Cup, Shakira met Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, who was competing with Spain’s national team. Their relationship would become one of the most high-profile celebrity partnerships of the following decade and eventually led to the birth of their two sons, Milan and Sasha. Although their relationship ended several years ago, the World Cup remains closely tied to some of the most significant moments of her personal journey.

The years that followed were not without challenges. Shakira endured intense media scrutiny, public discussions about her private life, and legal battles in Spain that dominated headlines around the world. Despite those difficulties, she successfully transformed personal adversity into creative fuel, using her experiences as inspiration for a remarkable professional resurgence.

One of the most notable examples was the global phenomenon of “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.” Released in 2023, the song became one of the year’s defining music moments and demonstrated her ability to channel personal emotions into music that resonated with audiences worldwide. The release strengthened her connection with fans and introduced a new chapter in her artistic evolution.

That momentum continued with the massively successful Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, which shattered attendance and revenue records while becoming one of the most successful tours ever mounted by a Latin artist. Across continents and generations, audiences embraced the stories, emotions, and experiences reflected in her music.

Her return to the World Cup arrives during this renewed period of creative and commercial success. While many artists might choose to slow down after more than three decades in the spotlight, Shakira appears more motivated than ever to explore new opportunities and embrace new challenges. Participating in the first halftime show in World Cup Final history represents another ambitious milestone in a career already filled with iconic moments.

The significance of the event is amplified by the caliber of performers expected to share the stage. Reports indicate that artists including Madonna and BTS will also participate, highlighting FIFA’s ambition to transform the final into a global entertainment spectacle comparable to the largest music events in the world.

Yet for Shakira, the most meaningful aspect of the occasion is not the scale of the production or the worldwide exposure. What continues to inspire her is the opportunity to be part of a moment that brings people together across cultures and continents. That belief has remained consistent throughout her relationship with football and helps explain why she continues to describe the connection as something truly unbreakable.

As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues, Shakira once again finds herself standing at the intersection of music, sport, and culture. More than fifteen years after “Waka Waka” became a global phenomenon, she returns not as a nostalgic reminder of past tournaments but as a central figure in the future of football’s biggest stage. For fans around the world, it is another chapter in a story that has become inseparable from the modern history of the World Cup itself.