Burna Boy, Shakira rehearse for World Cup final halftime show
Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy and Colombian pop icon Shakira have reunited during rehearsals ahead of their highly anticipated halftime performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy and Colombian pop icon Shakira reunited during rehearsals ahead of their highly anticipated halftime performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. A viral video shared this weekend showed the duo preparing to deliver a massive global stage performance, further cementing Nigerian music’s international dominance.
The performance is one of the most high-profile slots in global entertainment, with an audience of hundreds of millions expected to watch the World Cup final. 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 gains 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 and Shakira are performing at the World Cup final. Nigerian music is on the biggest stage. The question is whether the industry can sustain the momentum.