How Some Nigerian Artists Have Performed on Football’s Biggest Stages In Recent Times

In hindsight, music doesn’t essentially have a relationship with football. And perhaps if it does, as a global sport, it can be somewhat difficult to find Nigerian music there in modern times. But music is a universal language; it has crept into several industries in the world. Nigerian music, like Nigeria itself, doesn’t carry last. Nigerian artists in recent times have performed on football’s biggest stages in the world. From World Cup Finals to the Ballon d’Or to being included in EA Sports games, Nigerian artists have continued to show the world the immense pool of talent emerging out of the country.

Here’s a brief highlight of some Nigerian artists who have performed on football’s biggest stages:

Burna Boy — 2026 FIFA World Cup Opening Show

In the history of the World Cup, Burna Boy took up a nudge. He joined Shakira at the opening ceremony in Mexico City, where they performed “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They were both joined by the Ugandan Ghetto kids who went to perform with Shakira on other stages.

Burna Boy — 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show

More than a month after the opening show, Burna Boy and Shakira reunited at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the World Cup’s first-ever World Cup Final halftime show, again performing “Dai Dai.” In doing so, Burna Boy became the only Nigerian artist on this list to perform at both the opening and final stages of the same World Cup.

Rema — 2023 Ballon d’Or

Rema performed “Calm Down” at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris in October 2023, performing at the Théâtre du Châtelet in front of football’s biggest stars. His performance was a significant moment for Afrobeats, making him the first Afrobeats artist to perform at the prestigious awards ceremony.

Burna Boy — 2023 UEFA Champions League Final

In 2023, Burna Boy took Afrobeats to one of the biggest nights in European club football when he co-headlined the UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show with Brazilian star Anitta. At Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium, they performed before Manchester City faced Inter Milan in the final. Manchester City won the final.

Davido — 2022 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Davido performed at the tournament’s closing ceremony ahead of the final between Argentina and France. He joined Aisha on “(Hayya Hayya) Better Together,” one of the songs from the tournament’s official soundtrack, performing to the crowd at Lusail Stadium and a global television audience.

Tems — 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Final

In 2025, Tems became the first African artist to perform at a FIFA Club World Cup Final halftime show. She joined J Balvin and Doja Cat for the inaugural halftime performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where she performed her Grammy-winning song “Love Me JeJe.” The show was part of FIFA and Global Citizen’s effort to use the tournament to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

Yemi Alade — 2024 AFCON Opening Ceremony

Yemi Alade performed at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, held in January 2024 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. She performed “Akwaba,” the tournament’s official song, alongside Ivorian group Magic System and Egyptian singer Mohamed Ramadan. The performance took place at the 60,000-capacity Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium.

D’banj — 2013 AFCON Closing Ceremony

D’banj brought his energetic pop sound to Africa’s biggest continental tournament, performing at the closing ceremony of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in Johannesburg. He performed hits including “Oliver Twist” and “Top of the World,” the latter serving as the tournament’s theme song. Nigeria had won the competition by defeating Burkina Faso in the final.

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