Entertainment:
Davido To Headline FIFA’s World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert
FIFA said the concernt would be broadcast to audiences around the world as excitement continues to build ahead of the biggest football tournament.
Nigeria’s music stars continue to play leading roles in global events, with Davido announced as one of the headline acts for FIFA’s Countdown Concert in Los Angeles in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup.
The Grammy-nominated Afrobeats star will perform at the June 10 event at the Crypto.com Arena, one of three simultaneous concerts taking place across the tournament’s host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — as FIFA ramps up excitement ahead of the biggest World Cup in history.
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Davido will share the spotlight with Major Lazer at the Los Angeles show, which FIFA says will be broadcast globally.
“On June 10, the FIFA Countdown Concert in collaboration with the Grammys comes to Crypto.com Arena, featuring performances by Diplo’s Major Lazer, Davido, and more special guests to be announced soon,” the football governing body stated on its Fifaworldcup Instagram page.
The announcement marks another milestone in Davido’s long-standing relationship with FIFA.
In 2022, he featured on Hayya Hayya (Better Together), the first official soundtrack of the Qatar World Cup, before performing at the tournament’s closing ceremony.
His selection for the countdown concert reflects not only his global appeal but also the growing influence of Afrobeats on the international stage.
But Davido is not the only Nigerian artist taking centre stage at football’s biggest festival.
Rema had been named among the performers for the World Cup’s opening ceremonies, joining an international lineup that includes Katy Perry, Future, Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, J Balvin and Lisa.
Divine Joshua Ikubor, known professionally as Rema, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and rapper
According to FIFA, the United States opening celebration in Los Angeles will feature Perry alongside Rema, rapper Future, Blackpink’s Lisa, Brazilian superstar Anitta and South African singer Tyla, with more artists expected to be announced.
Meanwhile, Burna Boy has already made his mark on the tournament after teaming up with Colombian superstar Shakira for Dai Dai, the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Shakira performs during the Global Citizen Festival in New York on Sept. 27, 2025, left, and Burna Boy performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on June 30, 2024. (AP Photo)
Released through Sony Music Latin and FIFA, the song blends Burna Boy’s globally recognised Afrobeats sound with Shakira’s Latin pop style, delivering a message of unity, resilience and football’s universal appeal.
With Davido headlining FIFA’s countdown concert, Rema performing at the opening ceremonies and Burna Boy lending his voice to the tournament’s anthem, Nigeria’s music industry is set to enjoy unprecedented visibility as the world turns its attention to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
