Burna Boy delivers historic World Cup final halftime show with Shakira
Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy delivered a spectacular performance during the first-ever halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy delivered a spectacular live performance during the historic first-ever half-time show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday. Sharing the global stage with Colombian pop icon Shakira, the duo performed “Dai Dai”, the tournament’s official song.
The performance was watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, cementing Burna Boy’s status as one of the world’s biggest music stars. The halftime show was a landmark moment for African music, showcasing Afrobeats on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
Burna Boy’s selection for the halftime show is a testament to his global appeal and the rise of Afrobeats as a dominant force in popular music. He joins a select group of artists, including Shakira, who performed at the 2010 World Cup final.
This echoes the 2010 World Cup final performance by Shakira, which became one of the most-watched halftime shows in history. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a global stage for African music.
The winners: Burna Boy, who has gained global exposure; Nigerian music, which gains further recognition; and Afrobeats fans, who have another reason to celebrate. The losers: the artists who were not selected, and the Nigerian government, which has not provided enough support for the music industry.
Bottom Line: Burna Boy performed at the World Cup final. Nigerian music was on the biggest stage. The world watched. The question is whether the industry can sustain the momentum.