Colombian pop icon Shakira has shared why she chose to team up with Grammy-winning Nigerian star Burna Boy for the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, revealing that she was determined to have him on the project.
During a recent appearance on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, Shakira explained that she wanted a powerful male voice to balance the track, Dai Dai, and felt Burna Boy was the ideal choice because of his distinctive energy and vocal delivery.
“I have always loved Burna. I was obsessed with getting him on the track, so I called him,” she said.
Shakira added that collaborating with Burna Boy was an enjoyable experience and noted that she could not envision anyone else on the song.
“I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually.”
Since its release, Dai Dai has achieved remarkable global success, setting multiple music milestones.
The record became the first song to lead Spotify’s newly introduced Global Music Video Chart. It also helped Burna Boy become the first African artiste to claim the No. 1 spot on the Apple Music Global Top Songs chart.
The collaboration further saw the Nigerian singer establish a new benchmark for the highest monthly listeners by an African artiste, reaching 53 million on Spotify and 600 million on YouTube Music.
Burna Boy also made history by becoming the first African artiste to perform at the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, which was introduced for the 2026 tournament.