On Thursday 11 June, the 2026 World Cup kicked off in Mexico City with a lavish opening ceremony. The stage played host to stars such as J Balvin, Maná, Lila Downs and, of course, Shakira, who by now has appeared at more World Cups than her ex, Gerard Piqué.
But it was neither the fireworks nor the music that attracted the most attention online.
Within a few hours of the performance, theories began circulating on social media claiming that the person who performed the tournament’s official anthem, ‘Dai Dai’, was not really the Colombian singer. One user even wrote: "That’s not Shakira. Look how she gets the step wrong when she sings ‘Dai Dai’. That’s a double. Shakira lied to everyone."
The evidence? According to those defending the theory, the star looked different.
Shakira stepped onto the pitch in a striking yellow outfit, white shorts, platform trainers and huge dark sunglasses. On top of that, many users pointed out that her hair seemed to be a different shade from usual.
