Shakira & Burna Boy light up Mexico City as 2026 World Cup opens with a bang.

The Azteca Stadium roared back to life on Thursday night as the 2026 World Cup kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony, followed by a 2-0 win for home side Mexico over South Africa.

If you thought the 2010 World Cup opening ceremony was iconic, this one was a full on throwback with a twist. Colombian superstar Shakira returned to the stage where she first performed Waka Waka 16 years ago only this time, she teamed up with Nigerian hitmaker Burna Boy to debut Dai Dai, the tournament's official anthem.

The ceremony was a love letter to Mexican culture. Dancers in dazzling costumes flooded the pitch, celebrating Aztec traditions while massive screens showed highlights from Mexico's last home World Cup back in 1986.

Mexican singer Lila Downs kicked things off with a warm bilingual welcome: "People of the world, welcome to Mexico!"

From there, the lineup just kept delivering:

· Danny Ocean got things moving with Partidazo

· Belinda and Los Angeles Azules blended old and new with Por Ella

· Rock veterans Maná had the entire stadium singing along to their 1992 hit Oye Mi Amor

· J Balvin brought the energy with a medley including Una A La Vez and I Like It

But the moment everyone was waiting for? Shakira. The crowd lost it when she appeared on the pitch, nailed every dance move, and was joined by Burna Boy for a finale that had 80,000 fans chanting "Dale, allez, let's go!"

Then came the formalities—Hollywood star Salma Hayek Pinault, a World Cup ambassador, addressed the crowd in Spanish: "We Mexicans are deeply honored to be here, where the World Cup begins." A procession of flags from all 48 competing nations followed.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Korean-American singer EJAE performed the official FIFA anthem DNA. South African singer Tyla delivered a moving rendition of her country's national anthem before Mexico's own Alejandro Fernández closed the ceremony with the Mexican national anthem, sending clouds of red and green smoke into the night sky.

Not all smooth sailing outside the stadium

While the ceremony was pure magic, things got chaotic outside the fan zone at Zocalo Plaza. Thousands of striking teachers have been protesting across Mexico City, demanding higher pay and a reversal of pension laws. They blocked roads leading to the stadium and even set fire to giant World Cup-themed mannequins.

At one fan zone, city officials had to shout through megaphones: "Stop pushing—there are children here!" Frustrated fans threw water bottles and traded insults with police. One 25-year-old supporter named Javier Maciel summed it up: "It's crazy. They could have organized this better." Officials eventually declared the site "full" and redirected fans elsewhere.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had been expected to attend, but her plans were thrown into doubt after days of escalating demonstrations.

Still, once the match kicked off, all eyes were on the pitch—and Mexico didn't disappoint, taking down nine-man South Africa 2-0 in front of a euphoric home crowd.

The biggest World Cup ever, co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, runs until July 19, when the final will be played in New Jersey. Organizers expect the tournament to generate a record-breaking $13 billion in revenue.