Damini Ogulu, known as Burna Boy, and Colombian singer Shakira met along with Ghetto Kids to rehearse together on Friday, July 17, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The two artists will headline the first Super Bowl-style halftime show in FIFA World Cup history during Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain.
Burna Boy shared a video of the rehearsal on X, showing the pair embracing and laughing outside production trailers. Shakira asked Burna Boy how he felt being No 1, to which he responded by lifting Shakira and spinning her around. The heartfelt moment has quickly gone viral on X.
Watch video:Â https://x.com/burnaboy/status/
He captioned the post: “Sunday Prep! @shakira See you at the @FIFAWorldCup Final! Dai dai, ikó, dale, allez, let’s go!”
The halftime segment will run 11 minutes within a wide 15-minute break. Burna Boy and Shakira will headline, joined by Madonna, Justin Bieber, and BTS. Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the show, which also includes conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus, a choir of elementary school students from Staten Island. Characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets are also expected to appear.
The performance centers on “Dai Dai,” the official 2026 World Cup anthem, released on May 15. Burna Boy and Shakira first performed the song before more than 80,000 fans at the tournament’s opening ceremony on June 11 in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
Since its release, “Dai Dai” has climbed steadily on Billboard’s charts. It debuted at No. 114 on the Global 200 and rose to No. 1 on the chart dated July 18, becoming the first official World Cup anthem to top the ranking since it began in 2020. The song also held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a third consecutive week.
According to Luminate, “Dai Dai” earned 41.5 million streams and sold 6,000 copies outside the United States in the week ending July 9, bringing its worldwide on-demand streaming total for that week to 94.3 million. South Africa recorded the sharpest rise in streaming, up 1,578% since the song’s debut week, followed by India, Japan, France, and Malaysia, each up more than 1,000%.
The chart-topping run marks a first for both artists in different ways. Shakira reached No. 1 on the Global 200 for the second time in her career, after “TQG” with Karol G in 2023. For Burna Boy, it is his first time leading the chart.
Speaking about the halftime performance, Burna Boy said: “The FIFA World Cup is one of the few moments that truly brings the entire world together. To represent Africa on the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show is a privilege and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly.”
Online reaction to the rehearsal footage has been largely positive, with many users praising the chemistry between the two artists and Burna Boy’s continued visibility for Nigeria on a global stage.
The final kicks off Sunday, July 19, 2026, 8:00pm (WAT) at MetLife Stadium.
