Soccer
Nigerian singer and rapper Rema performs a concert in Norway. Copyright: xGonzalesxPhoto/TordxLitleskarexImago
Nigerian music fans have been thrown into excitement following a recent announcement by FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
Afrobeats star Divine Ikubor, referred to as Rema, has been headlined to feature in a star-studded lineup for the opening ceremony in Los Angeles, United States, as FIFA prepares for one of the biggest displays in World Cup history.
It marks another major milestone for the “Calm Down” hitmaker, who has continued to raise the profile of Nigerian Afrobeats globally, after he also performed at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
Soccernet.ng had earlier reported that another Nigerian superstar Damini Ogulu, popularly referred to as Burnaboy, also featured in the tournament’s official theme song alongside Canadian pop star Shakira.
A snippet of the song was released last Thursday, while the full version is expected to drop on May 14.
Soccer Rema to headline World Cup opening ceremony in Los Angeles
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the 23rd edition of football’s biggest tournament and is scheduled to kick off in June. The competition will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, marking the first time in history that three countries will host the tournament together.
The last World Cup jointly hosted by more than one nation was the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea, where the opening ceremony took place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in South Korea.
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has now confirmed that each of the three host nations for the 2026 tournament will stage its own opening ceremony.
The tournament will begin in Mexico City on June 11 with the first ceremony ahead of Mexico’s clash with South Africa. The event will then move to Canada on June 12, where several international stars are expected to perform ahead of Canada’s clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Later that same day, Los Angeles – known as the entertainment capital of the world, will host the final ceremony featuring Nigerian superstar Rema alongside several other global music stars.
The lineup is also expected to include pop superstar Katy Perry, Grammy-winning rapper Future, South African singer Tyla, Brazilian singer Anitta and Thai rapper Lisa, bringing entertainment to the global audience ahead of more than a month of football action.
“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become”, Gianni Infantino said on FIFA’s official website.
“The lineup of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the vibrancy of its many diasporas, highlighting the nation’s rich influence on music, entertainment and pop culture, while showcasing the power of music to bring people together across the country.”
Although Nigeria will not be participating at the Mundial, the country’s music industry will still have a strong presence on the global stage through artists like Rema and Burna Boy.
The tournament will run until July 19 and will feature 104 matches. Argentina head into the competition as defending champions after defeating France on penalties in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Chief Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.
Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin
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