Afrobeats star Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, will headline the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles, FIFA has confirmed, as Nigeria’s music industry prepares for a commanding presence at football’s biggest tournament despite the Super Eagles’ absence from the competition itself.
- +Rema to headline World Cup opening ceremony
The “Calm Down” hitmaker will perform at the Los Angeles ceremony on June 12 alongside a star-studded lineup that includes pop superstar Katy Perry, Grammy-winning rapper Future, South African singer Tyla, Brazilian artist Anitta and Thai rapper Lisa of BLACKPINK.
The “Calm Down” hitmaker will perform at the Los Angeles ceremony on June 12 alongside a star-studded lineup that includes pop superstar Katy Perry, Grammy-winning rapper Future, South African singer Tyla, Brazilian artist Anitta and Thai rapper Lisa of BLACKPINK.
In a historic departure from tradition, FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that the 2026 edition will be the first World Cup to open with three separate ceremonies across all three host nations simultaneously, rather than a single event in one city.
The celebrations will begin on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where Tyla will also perform alongside Latin icons J Balvin, Mana, Alejandro Fernandez and Belinda ahead of Mexico’s opening clash with South Africa.
The following day, Toronto’s BMO Field will host Canada’s ceremony featuring Michael Buble, Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara and Nora Fatehi before Canada face Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Los Angeles, as the entertainment capital of the world, will stage the headline ceremony later the same day.
“This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become,” 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.”
Rema’s appearance continues a remarkable run of global milestones for the artist, who previously performed at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
He follows in the footsteps of compatriot Davido, who became the first African artist to perform at a World Cup final when he appeared at the closing ceremony of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Nigeria’s presence at the tournament will also be felt through the official anthem. Fellow superstar Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, collaborated with Colombian-born pop icon Shakira on “Dai Dai”, the tournament’s official song, which is due for full release on May 14. A snippet of the track was made available last Thursday.
The 2026 World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Argentina enter as defending champions after defeating France on penalties in the 2022 final in Qatar. The tournament’s final will be held at MetLife Stadium on July 19, where a halftime show is also being planned in a first-of-its-kind Super Bowl-style partnership with Global Citizen.
