From Katwe streets to MetLife: Ghetto Kids join Shakira at FIFA 2026 final

Shakira is coming home to football’s biggest stage. The Colombian pop icon will headline the first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. And she won’t arrive alone. Shakira has invited Uganda’s Ghetto Kids, a dance troupe of orphaned and street children from Kampala, to perform with her before the largest audience football can summon.

The connection started with ‘Dai Dai’. The children’s energetic dance videos for the official 2026 tournament anthem went viral on social media. Shakira saw them, reposted the clip, and sent a DM: “I need dancers like that!! Guys, do you want to come perform with me at the finals?” She later confirmed on Instagram that the Ghetto Kids were her first choice for the halftime show. The troupe had already appeared in the video for ‘Dai Dai’, which blends Afrobeats, dance-pop and reggaetón and features Burna Boy.

No artiste is more tied to the World Cup sound than Shakira. Her 2010 anthem ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’ became the pulse of that tournament in South Africa. Built on an African melody and performed with Freshlyground, it remains one of the best-selling World Cup songs ever. With ‘Dai Dai’ and now this performance, she’s handing the moment back to Africa again. Royalties from ‘Dai Dai’ will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, aiming to raise $100 million for children’s education and football access.

For the Ghetto Kids, it’s a journey from Katwe’s slums to global spotlight. Founded in 2014 by former street kid Kavuma Dauda, the NGO uses dance to provide education for abandoned children. Their videos started on Kampala streets and earned them a Golden Buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent and a spot on America’s Got Talent. Now they’re preparing for an audience of over a billion.