Shakira Talks Her ‘Unbreakable’ Bond with Soccer Ahead of the First-Ever FIFA World Cup Halftime Show

Shakira is gearing up for a history-making performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup!

The Queen of Latin Music, 49, will be co-headlining the first World Cup Final halftime show — along with BTS and Madonna — on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

“Every World Cup is really magical, and I think this one is going to be all about bringing people together in this very sensitive moment in time, socially and politically,” she told People in an interview published on Wednesday, June 3.

This four-time Grammy Award winner has a long history with the tournament, first performing at the closing ceremony of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. In 2010, she released her first World Cup song, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” and sang at the closing ceremony in South Africa, then took the stage again in 2014 at the closing ceremony in Brazil.

“I have this connection with [soccer] that seems unbreakable,” the mom of two — who shares sons Milan, 13, and Sasha, 11, with ex-partner and retired soccer player Gerard Piqué — told the outlet.

In May, the “Hips Don’t Lie” hitmaker released her second official song for the sporting event, “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy, which according to People is Italian slang for “come on, come on.”

“It’s a message for every child who’s been told that their dream is too big,” Shakira said of the track. “And to remind us that every champion started out as a kid who perhaps went through hardship and struggles, but there was someone that believed in them, and that’s why they didn’t give up.”

Besides delivering an inspirational new tune, Shakira is doing more good for the world with “Dai Dai,” as she has pledged that the royalties will go to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims “to provide children around the world with access to quality education and football opportunities,” per the FIFA website.

The 2026 World Cup will kick off on Thursday, June 11.