Rema to Headline the 2026 World Cup Opening Ceremony

The Super Eagles will not be playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Nigeria will still have a massive voice at the tournament.

Afrobeats star Divine Ikubor, widely known as Rema, is set to headline the opening ceremony in Los Angeles.

FIFA has officially confirmed that the singer will take the stage on June 12, putting the Nigerian music industry right at the centre of football’s biggest event.

Rema will not be alone in Los Angeles. The ceremony features a heavy lineup of global stars. He will perform alongside American pop star Katy Perry, rap artist Future, South African sensation Tyla, Brazilian singer Anitta, and Lisa from the pop group BLACKPINK.

The event in Los Angeles is designed to highlight the diverse cultures and sounds that influence the host nation.

This year, FIFA is changing the rules. For the first time in the history of the tournament, there will be three separate opening ceremonies happening across the three host nations.

The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, explained that they want the celebrations to match the massive scale of the competition.

The celebrations will kick off on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Tyla will perform there as well, sharing the stage with Latin music stars like J Balvin, Alejandro Fernandez, Mana, and Belinda, just before Mexico plays the opening match against South Africa.

The following day, Canada will host its own ceremony at BMO Field in Toronto. Fans there will watch performances by Michael Buble, Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, and Nora Fatehi before the Canadian national team takes on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Later that same day, all attention will shift to Los Angeles for the headline event featuring Rema.

This is not Rema’s first time combining his music with global football. He previously performed at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.

His upcoming performance in Los Angeles also follows the path set by Davido, who made history as the first African artist to perform at a World Cup final during the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Nigerian music fans have even more to look forward to this summer. Grammy winner Burna Boy has teamed up with Colombian pop star Shakira to create the official anthem for the 2026 tournament.

The song, titled “Dai Dai”, will be fully released on May 14, making sure the Afrobeats sound stays loud throughout the competition.

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The 2026 World Cup promises to be the largest edition yet. It will run from June 11 to July 19 and will feature 48 teams playing 104 matches across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Argentina enters the competition as the defending champions.

The tournament will close with the final match at MetLife Stadium, where FIFA is also planning a massive halftime show to wrap up the month-long football festival.