Soccer City, Johannesburg, 11 July 2010. Before the final, Shakira appeared alongside South African Afro-fusion group Freshlyground to perform Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) with Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the closing ceremony. For African supporters, that night is a natural starting point for the history of official World Cup songs.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The official song cycle begins | Italia 90 (Italian Summer / Will Be Number One) |
| Previous tournament songs | From Chile 1962 (Rock of the World Cup) |
| 2026 official song | Dai Dai, Shakira and Burna Boy |
| 2026 official anthem | DNA, Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, Megan Thee Stallion and EJAE |
| Nigerians official World Cup music | Davido (Qatar 2022), Burna Boy (2026) |
| Other African names | Youssou N’Dour, Amadou & Mariam, Freshlyground |
Before pop stars
Chile had a rock and roll number one in 1962. The song was El Rock del Mundial. Los Ramblers recorded it. England responded four years later with Lonnie Donegan’s World Cup Willie.
These were local records, not global products.
Fans of the model already recognize the formation of the Italia 90. Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini produced Un’estate italiana and Giorgio Moroder produced the English version of To Be Number One. From there the list goes on and on.
Every edition from Italia 90 to 2026
| Edition | An official song or anthem | Performers |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 Italy | Un’estate italiana / To be number one | Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini; Giorgio Moroder Project |
| 1994 USA | Gloryland | Daryl Hall and the Voices of Darkness |
| 1998 France | La Copa de la Vida (song); Great Court (anthem) | Ricky Martin; Youssou N’Dour and Axelle Red |
| 2002 Korea/Japan | Boom (song); Anthem (instrumental) | Anastasia? Vangelis |
| 2006 Germany | Time of Our Lives (song); Celebrate the Day (Hymn) | Il Divo with Toni Braxton; Herbert Grönemeyer with Amadou and Mariam |
| 2010 South Africa | Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (song); Victory Sign (anthem) | Shakira with Freshlyground; R. Kelly with the Soweto Spiritual Singers |
| 2014 Brazil | We Are One (Ole Ola) (song); Give It A Way (Anthem) | Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte; Carlos Santana, Wyclef Jean, Avicii and Alexandre Pires |
| 2018 Russia | Live | Nicky Jam, Will Smith and Era Istrefi |
| 2022 Qatar | Official soundtrack directed by Hayya Hayya (Better Together); Tukoh Taka (Fan Festival Anthem) | Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha; Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares |
| 2026 Canada/Mexico/U.S | Dai Dai (song); dna (anthem) | Shakira and Burna Boy; Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, Megan Thee Stallion and EJAE |
Russia 2018 closed with Live It Up in Luzhniki. Our previous piece on the official song of the 2018 World Cup tells the story.
The voice of Africa from Dakar to Soccer City
African musicians were in the room long before 2010. Senegalese Youssou N’Dour wrote and sang the anthem in 1998 with Belgian singer Axelle Red. Eight years later, the Malian duo Amadou and Mariam joined Herbert Grönemeyer in the official anthem in Germany. Two anthems, two African voices.
South Africa has changed the scale. FIFA and Sony Music named Waka Waka their official song in April 2010. Shakira said at the time that “African music is very inspiring and ready to take its place on the global pop culture scene.” Formed in Cape Town in 2002 with members from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Freshlyground set the record straight on the continent, with proceeds going to centers across Africa in FIFA’s 2010 Football for Hope programme.
Then there was K’naan.
The Somali-Canadian rapper’s song “Wavin’ Flag” was never an official FIFA song. It was Coca-Cola’s campaign anthem. However, it went to number one in 17 countries, Coca-Cola reports. K’naan said the remix was “one time we all came together.”
The era of Davido, Burna Boy and Afrobeats
Qatar 2022 has scrapped the single-song format. FIFA created a soundtrack instead. The first release was Hayya Hayya (Better Together) by American singer Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Qatari singer Aisha, who was featured in the final draw on April 1, 2022. “When it came to me, I jumped on it,” Davido said in a statement released by FIFA. Then came Tukoh Taka. It was introduced as the first official FIFA Fan Festival anthem and the first World Cup song in English, Spanish and Arabic.
The Super Eagles were not in Qatar. It was a Nigerian voice.
For 2026, FIFA has gone even further. Released on 15 May 2026, Dai Dai paired Colombian star Shakira with Nigeria’s Burna Boy as the official song, with royalties going to the FIFA Global Civic Education Fund to improve children’s access to education. “I’ve always wanted to do something with Burna. I think her voice takes it to another level,” Shakira said in June. On June 10, the official anthem, DNT, was played. Bocelli called it an honor. He and EJAE performed it the next day at the opening ceremony in Mexico City.
Our vision
Shakira now has two official World Cup songs and both have an African partner.
That says a lot. It took less than three decades from Youssou N’Dour sharing the French anthem in 1998 to the Nigerian superstar leading the official song of the 48-team tournament in North America. Check out the best football club anthems for the club side. The next test comes in 2030, when Morocco co-hosts and Africa gets another milestone.
This article was last revised and updated 52 seconds ago