The 23rd FIFA World Cup 2026 officially kicked off recently. The opening ceremony took place at the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, bringing together thousands of fans in the stands and millions of viewers watching around the world.

 

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The biggest star of the ceremony was Colombian singer Shakira. Together with Nigerian artist Burna Boy, she performed the tournament’s official anthem – «Dai Dai», a song that has already broken YouTube viewing records and become the musical symbol of the competition.

 

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For the 49-year-old singer, the performance was particularly significant. Shakira has now become the leading musical star of a FIFA World Cup for the fourth time, setting a record among all performers.

The vibrant show featured spectacular lighting effects, large-scale dance performances and the atmosphere of a true celebration. Following the ceremony, the national teams of Mexico and South Africa took to the pitch to begin the football competition.

 

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This year’s World Cup will also be the largest in the tournament’s history. For the first time, 48 national teams will compete for the trophy, and fans can look forward to a total of 104 matches.

The new music video by Colombian pop superstar Shakira for her track Dai Dai, the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has topped YouTube’s trending charts. The video amassed more than 14 million views in less than a day and a half.

The four-minute clip features some of the world’s biggest football stars, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Luis Díaz, and Harry Kane. In the video, they step onto the pitch, symbolically declaring their readiness for the major tournament ahead.

The 49-year-old pop icon Shakira has long been regarded as the queen of football anthems. Sixteen years ago, her hit Waka Waka, created for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, became one of the most iconic football songs of all time.

The Dai Dai project also carries a social mission. The singer announced that all proceeds from the song and the video’s views will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The initiative aims to provide children from low-income families with access to education and sports.

Colombian pop icon Shakira has won a high-profile legal battle against the Spanish tax authority. The National Court completely overturned the financial claims made against the artist for the year 2011, ordering the state to return more than €55 million to her.

The case centered on the star’s earnings from her massive world tour. Spanish authorities insisted that Shakira was already a tax resident at the time and was therefore required to pay taxes on her global income. However, her defense team successfully proved that the singer had not spent the mandatory 183 days in Spain during 2011 to qualify as a resident.

The artist herself opened up about the heavy toll the allegations had taken on her:

«There was no fraud. The authorities failed to prove otherwise for one simple reason – it isn’t true. Despite this, I was presumed guilty in the court of public opinion for nearly a decade. Case files were constantly leaked to the press and distorted, and my name was used as a scare tactic to intimidate other taxpayers», Shakira stated, adding that the scandal had taken a toll on her health and stripped her family of their peace of mind.

However, it is too early to celebrate a definitive victory, as the tax authority retains the right to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

This is not the singer’s first run-in with the Spanish justice system. In 2023, she was found guilty of tax evasion for the period between 2012 and 2014. At the time, Shakira managed to avoid prison time by agreeing to pay a hefty fine.

Photo: Instagram @shakira

Colombian superstar Shakira delighted her fans with a symbolic and heartfelt surprise. During her concert in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, as part of her world tour Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran («Women No Longer Cry»), Shakira took the stage together with her sons – 12-year-old Milan and 10-year-old Sasha – performing before a packed arena.

It was the boys’ first time performing with their mother on a major stage, where they sang Acróstico, a song Shakira dedicated to them. The children stood confidently beside her as thousands in the audience sang along and applauded their debut.

After the show, the 48-year-old artist shared photos and a touching post on Instagram:

«Buenos Aires, thank you for a moment that will last forever for us. It was magical to sing with my children, to watch them discover the music they carry within. And to see entire families in the audience embracing and singing together!».

A reminder that Milan and Sasha are the sons of Shakira and her former partner, Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, whom the singer separated from in 2022 after a 12-year relationship due to his infidelity.

Photo: Instagram @shakira

Yesterday, Los Angeles hosted the premiere of the animated film Zootopia 2, which attracted many well-known public figures. Among the invited guests was Shakira – her song Zoo became the official soundtrack of the new animated feature.

The singer arrived at the screening accompanied by her sons from her former partner Gerard Piqué – 12-year-old Milan and 10-year-old Sasha.

Before the photographers, the 48-year-old star posed in a violet dress adorned with satin ruffles. The boys looked no less striking – both wore tuxedos in the same shade as their famous mother’s outfit.

 

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Although Shakira’s sons do not often join her at large-scale public events, this time they appeared completely at ease. The boys willingly posed and smiled under the flashlights.

 

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It is also noteworthy that the singer often chooses matching outfits for her sons. Earlier this year, she appeared with them on the red carpet of the 67th Grammy Awards, where Milan and Sasha wore identical silver jackets.

 

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As a reminder, Shakira had a highly publicized split with Gerard Piqué in 2022 after the footballer cheated on her. The couple met in 2010 during the filming of her music video. Shakira is, incidentally, ten years older than Piqué. Their elder son Milan was born in 2013, and two years later their younger son Sasha followed.

Video: Instagram @shakira

It seems Shakira is venturing into the world of entrepreneurship. The 48-year-old singer has announced the launch of her own haircare brand, Isima.

The line consists of eight products, including shampoos, a serum, a mask, and a conditioner. The development was led by a team of experts headed by scientific director Anthony Potin, who previously worked at L’Oréal.

The products will cater to various hair types, with a special focus on the Latin American market.

According to the singer, the idea to create the brand came from her struggle to find products suitable for her own hair.

The products will be available for purchase starting in June and will hit Ulta Beauty stores in the U.S. in July. Prices range from $32 to $42. Isima is expected to generate around $20–30 million in revenue in its first year.

Photo: Instagram @shakira

It seems that the heart of the Spanish footballer is free once again. It is rumored that 38-year-old Gerard Piqué has ended his relationship with his 26-year-old girlfriend Clara Chía. This was reported by Mediaset journalist Adriana Dorronsoro.

«I have been confirmed that Gerard Piqué and Clara Chía have broken up. I decided to find out the reasons because third parties are talking about it, and it is not entirely clear whether it is true. However, as you know, for the past few months many have been speaking about a crisis in the couple’s relationship,» said Adriana Dorronsoro.

The public is outraged: could it be that the footballer has cheated again? Rumors say that Piqué was recently seen in Miami with a red-haired woman.

It should be noted that it was because of Clara that Gerard’s 11-year relationship with Shakira fell apart. The singer realized that her husband was cheating when she noticed… a jar of jam! The thing is, no one but her ate strawberry jam in the family. When she returned from her tour, she found the jar half-empty.

The star took the betrayal hard but managed to pull herself together and return to her usual life quickly.

«I put everything I had into this relationship and family. One of us had to make a sacrifice. Either he would terminate his contract with Barcelona and move with me to the U.S., where my career was developing, or I would have to do it. So one of us had to make an effort and sacrifice something. And I did. I put my career on the back burner and moved to Spain to support him so he could play football and win titles. It was a sacrifice for love,» Shakira said candidly.

Now the 48-year-old star does not speak about her private life, only sharing the successes of her children, whom she is raising alone after her divorce from the athlete.

Photo: Instagram @3gerardpique, @shakira

American-Colombian singer Shakira was hospitalized during her world tour, her first in seven years. The 48-year-old artist was urgently admitted to a hospital in Lima, the capital of Peru, due to complaints of abdominal pain. As a result, Shakira was forced to cancel her highly anticipated concert in Lima.

The singer shared the unfortunate news on social media, posting a text story from her hospital room.

«The doctor said I’m not in the best condition to perform today», the pop star expressed her regret at not being able to take the stage.

Shakira emphasized that she had been eagerly looking forward to reuniting with her «incredible fans» in Peru and expressed hope that she would be able to leave the hospital as soon as possible.

Photo: Instagram @shakira