The World Cup opening ceremony began at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday, marking the countdown to the opening group game between Mexico and South Africa.
Latin music and dance numbers gravitated around a massive model of the World Cup trophy in the center of the pitch, ahead of 104 matches over the next 39 days, building to the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
The Estadio Azteca, or technically 'Mexico City Stadium' for this competition, has a rich World Cup history, as the venue for the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finalsImage: ImagenShop/IMAGO
In the highlight of the ceremony, Colombian star Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy performed "Dai Dai" — an Italian slang term meaning "come on" or "give it your all" — the official song of the tournament, bringing roars from the crowd.
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