Shakira and Burna Boy kick off World Cup 2026 party as spectacular opening ceremony gets tournament underway | OneFootball

World Cup begins with star-studded opening ceremony in Mexico City before joint hosts win dramatic first game

Shakira and Burna Boy kicked off the World Cup with a performance at the spectacular opening ceremony in Mexico.

The Colombian singer performed 'Let's go', the official World Cup song, alongside Nigerian artist Burna Boy ahead of the opening fixture in Mexico City.

Shakira performs during the Opening Ceremony before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Mexico and South Africa

Mexico won 2-0 in a chaotic game in which three players were sent off.

The match was the first of 104 at the biggest ever FIFA World Cup, where 48 countries will compete across 16 cities.

It began with costumes performing as a giant World Cup rose up in the centre of the pitch.

Mexican pop rock band Mana, were the first group to perform.

Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean also sang alongside performers dressed in traditional Mexican dress, followed by Colombian artist J Balvin.

Then Shakira and Burna Boy took to the stage in the finale.

Performers dance during the Opening Ceremony

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AFP via Getty Images

Getty Images

Getty Images

It was a spectacular start to a tournament that for the first time in its nearly 100-year history, is being jointly hosted by three countries,

But ahead of the kick-off the tournament has courted huge controversy over ticket prices and visa issues in the US.

A Somalian referee was denied a visa while Iran, amid its conflict with the US has been forced to move its training camp to Mexico.

While the price of tickets has forced many fans who would have liked to travel to the global tournament to stay at home.