• Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, and Rema featured on the 2026 World Cup Album
Vanessa Obioha
World Cup fever is on, and this year, FIFA is making music a big part of the tournament. Returning to North America for the first time since the United States hosted it in 1994, the 2026 edition will be the first World Cup co-hosted by three countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will also be the biggest in history, featuring 48 teams and more than 100 matches.
Apart from the football action and the star players, the tournament’s music offerings are already generating global buzz. FIFA officially released the 2026 World Cup album on Friday, June 5, featuring a lineup of international stars, including several Nigerian artists.
For years, World Cup music leaned heavily on Western pop formulas with occasional global flavouring. What is different now is balance, and the inclusion of Nigerian stars shows that afrobeats’ global appeal is not dying anytime soon.
