Tyla, Shakira, Burna Boy and the 2026 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony: Time, Performers and What Happened in Mexico City

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened in Mexico City with the kind of spectacle only football’s biggest stage can produce: music, fireworks, cultural symbolism, national pride and a packed stadium waiting for the first whistle.

At the centre of the ceremony were Shakira and Burna Boy, who performed “Dai Dai,” the official song of the tournament, before Mexico faced South Africa in the opening match. South African star Tyla also played a major role, performing the South African national anthem in front of tens of thousands of fans at the historic Estadio Azteca, officially referred to during the tournament as Mexico City Stadium. FIFA had announced that the Mexico City ceremony would feature Shakira, Burna Boy, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla.

The tournament itself is historic. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first edition hosted by three countries — Mexico, the United States and Canada — and the first to feature 48 teams and 104 matches. It began on Thursday, 11 June 2026, in Mexico City and is scheduled to conclude with the final on 19 July at New York New Jersey Stadium.

What Time Was the World Cup Opening Ceremony?

The FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Mexico City took place before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, 11 June 2026.

FIFA said the ceremony would set the stage 90 minutes before kick-off. The provided match report says the opening match kicked off shortly before 1800 GMT. Based on that timing, the ceremony began around 1630 GMT.

For South African viewers, that means the World Cup opening ceremony time was approximately 18:30 SAST, with the opening match following at around 20:00 SAST.

In simple terms:

Mexico City Takes the Global Stage

The opening ceremony was held at the Estadio Azteca, one of football’s most symbolic venues. The stadium previously hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals and was renovated for the 2026 tournament. With a capacity of around 80,000 spectators, it provided a dramatic setting for the opening of the expanded 48-team competition.

The show mixed global pop culture with Mexican identity. Dancers performed around a giant model of the World Cup trophy as fireworks lit up the stadium. Performers wore indigenous clothing, others appeared in gold costumes while holding giant golden footballs, and the ceremony leaned heavily into colour, movement and heritage.

The opening words captured the tone of the night:

“Bienvenida a México. Welcome to Mexico.”

The message continued:

“We are a nation of diversity, heritage and pride. Football carries the same heartbeat, uniting generations.”

That blend of national pride and global unity defined the ceremony. Mexico was not simply hosting the first match; it was launching a tournament spread across an entire continent.

Shakira and Burna Boy Perform “Dai Dai”

The biggest musical moment came when Shakira and Nigerian star Burna Boy performed “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

For Shakira, the World Cup stage is familiar territory. Her association with football culture goes back years, especially through her iconic 2010 World Cup anthem “Waka Waka.” In Mexico City, she returned as one of the central figures of the ceremony, performing alongside Burna Boy before a roaring crowd.

Their performance connected Latin pop, Afrobeats and football’s global audience. The pairing also reflected the broader musical identity of the 2026 tournament: a World Cup built around multiple host nations, multiple cultures and a deliberately international entertainment lineup.

Was Tyla Performing at the World Cup?

Yes. Tyla was part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Mexico City.

The Grammy-winning South African singer performed the South African national anthem before the opening match against Mexico. FIFA also confirmed that Tyla would be among the performers connected to the opening ceremonies, and she was listed in the Mexico City lineup alongside major Latin American and global artists.

Tyla’s appearance carried special significance because South Africa was one of the two teams in the opening match. Her performance gave South African fans a moment of representation at the very beginning of the tournament.

She was also expected to return to the World Cup stage in the United States opening ceremony in Los Angeles, joining an international lineup that included Katy Perry, Future, LISA, Anitta and others.

Who Performed at the World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony?

The Mexico City opening ceremony featured a broad lineup representing Latin music, African music, pop, opera and national tradition.

Confirmed performers and participants included:

FIFA confirmed that Salma Hayek Pinault would welcome fans to Mexico City as a FIFA World Cup 2026 Ambassador, celebrating football’s unifying spirit on the global stage.

J Balvin, Latin Music and the Cultural Power of the Ceremony

J Balvin’s presence added another major Latin music figure to a ceremony already led by Shakira and deeply rooted in Mexican culture.

The 2026 World Cup opening ceremony was not built around one musical style. It moved between regional Mexican sounds, Latin pop, reggaeton, Afrobeats, opera and national anthems. That variety mattered because the tournament itself is being staged across three host nations, with audiences watching from every continent.

The inclusion of artists such as J Balvin, Shakira, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules and Maná helped position Latin music at the heart of the tournament’s opening image. Burna Boy’s role brought Afrobeats into the same global frame, while Tyla connected the ceremony directly to South Africa, the opening opponent.

What Does FIFA Mean?

FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association, which translates to the International Federation of Association Football.

It is the world governing body for football and organizes the FIFA World Cup, the sport’s most watched international tournament. The World Cup brings together national teams from around the world, with the 2026 edition expanded to 48 teams for the first time.

A Festive Stadium, But Tension Outside

Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was celebratory. Fans wore Mexico’s team colours, dancers filled the pitch, fireworks lit the roofline and the opening match created a powerful sense of occasion.

Outside parts of Mexico City, however, the scene was more complicated. Thousands of fans tried to enter the official World Cup fan zone in Zócalo plaza before kick-off, where access was affected by metal barriers that had been erected after recent protests by teachers. The provided report described pushing and shoving as fans attempted to enter the area.

One city official shouted through a megaphone:

“Stop pushing and shoving, there are children here, you’re like animals!”

Some fans threw water bottles and insulted police, while others chanted in support of Mexico. A 25-year-old fan, Javier Maciel, summed up the frustration:

“It’s crazy. There could have been better organization.”

The local government later announced on social media that the site was “full” and advised fans to go to other plazas.

The contrast was striking: inside the stadium, the World Cup projected unity and celebration; outside, the pressures of crowd control, public protest and urban security were impossible to ignore.

Mexico Opens With a Win Over South Africa

After the ceremony, football took over. Mexico began its campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa, giving the home crowd the result it wanted on opening night.

For Mexico, the victory added sporting satisfaction to the cultural celebration. For South Africa, the night still carried historic visibility, with Tyla’s anthem performance and the team’s role in the opening match placing the country at the centre of the tournament’s first global broadcast moment.

Why This Opening Ceremony Mattered

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony mattered for several reasons.

First, it marked the start of the biggest World Cup ever staged, with 48 teams and 104 matches across Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Second, it turned Mexico City into the symbolic starting point for a tournament shared by three countries. The Estadio Azteca’s history gave the opening a deep football heritage, connecting the 2026 edition to the legendary tournaments of 1970 and 1986.

Third, the ceremony showed how modern World Cups are no longer only sporting events. They are global entertainment platforms. Shakira, Burna Boy, Tyla, J Balvin, Salma Hayek, Andrea Bocelli and other names brought music, film, culture and celebrity into the same space as football.

Finally, the ceremony reflected the tension that often surrounds mega-events: celebration inside the stadium, protests and crowd-management challenges outside it.

Conclusion: A World Cup Opening Built for a Global Audience

The FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Mexico City delivered the drama expected from football’s biggest event. Shakira and Burna Boy gave the tournament its headline musical moment with “Dai Dai,” Tyla represented South Africa with a national anthem performance, and Mexican culture shaped the ceremony’s visual and emotional identity.

For fans searching for the World Cup opening ceremony time, the key answer is clear: the Mexico City ceremony took place on Thursday, 11 June 2026, before Mexico vs South Africa, around 16:30 GMT and approximately 18:30 in South Africa.

But beyond the time and lineup, the deeper story is what the ceremony represented: a historic World Cup, an expanded global stage, and a night where football, music, culture and national pride all met under the lights of one of the sport’s most famous stadiums.