2026 World Cup Opening in Mexico City: Shakira, Bocelli, and Hayek at the Stadium. The 2026 World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City featured performances by Shakira, Maná, Andrea Bocelli, and Salma Hayek. The tournament began with Mexico's victory over South Africa. The event showcased new anthems and appearances by global stars.
A large-scale opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place in Mexico City, where tens of thousands of spectators gathered at the stadium. Before the kickoff match between Mexico and South Africa, Shakira, Maná, Andrea Bocelli, and Salma Hayek took to the field. As noted by the Associated Press, the ceremony became one of the most spectacular in the tournament's history.
Shakira performed the tournament’s official anthem, “Dai Dai,” together with Burna Boy. For the Colombian singer, this marks her fourth World Cup ceremony appearance: she previously performed at the openings in Germany, South Africa, and Brazil. This time, Shakira again emphasized rhythm and audience participation, and at the tournament’s final she is set to share the stage with Madonna and BTS at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Among other participants of the ceremony was the Mexican band Maná, who performed “Oye Mi Amor” surrounded by dancers in traditional costumes. The group announced an upcoming Latin American tour. Los Ángeles Azules and Belinda presented the dance track “Por Ella,” while J Balvin put on a dynamic show with Ryan Castro and the hit “I Like It.”
Special attention was drawn to Salma Hayek, who was appointed as ambassador for the 2026 World Cup. She welcomed participants and guests at the first-ever parade with 48 flags of participating countries, highlighting the tournament’s significance for Mexico. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and South Korean singer EJAE performed the official anthem “DNA” together with French DJ David Guetta.
Before the game, the national anthems were performed by Tyla (South Africa) and Alejandro Fernandez (Mexico). Tyla became the youngest African winner of the Grammy, while Fernandez, a scion of a musical dynasty, performed “Mi México Lindo” for the official FIFA album.
The ceremony featured a multilingual greeting: Lila Downs addressed the audience in Spanish, English, as well as Mixtec and Nahuatl. She emphasized the country’s cultural diversity and expressed support for the national team.
The 2026 tournament is being held simultaneously in three countries — Mexico, the USA, and Canada — with the number of participants increased to 48 teams. On just the second day of the championship, fans were drawn to new opening ceremonies in Toronto and the USA, as well as matches between Canada and Bosnia and the USA and Paraguay. Details on the schedule and the tournament’s kickoff can be found in the article about the key events on the second day of the 2026 World Cup.
For reference: the FIFA World Cup is held every four years and is considered one of the most significant sporting events in the world. In 2026, for the first time, three countries are co-hosting the tournament, with the final taking place in the USA. The new ceremony formats and expanded number of participants are expected to boost interest in the tournament and attract a record number of spectators.
