Burna Boy sets first-ever World Cup final half-time show ablaze (photos)

By Tolulope Oke

Nigerian music superstar Burna Boy delivered a powerful performance alongside Shakira during the first-ever FIFA World Cup final half-time show on Sunday.

The Grammy-winning Afrobeats star joined the Colombian singer to perform Dai Dai as Argentina and Spain battled for the trophy at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

Burna Boy’s appearance marked his debut performance at a World Cup final and placed Nigerian music on one of the biggest stages in global sport.

Latin rhythms echoed around the stadium as Shakira introduced the Nigerian singer, drawing loud cheers from the packed crowd.

The performance formed part of an 11-minute spectacle featuring some of the world’s biggest music and entertainment stars.

Madonna opened the show with Music, entering the stadium in a buggy driven by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo Nazário and Ronaldinho.

J-Hope of BTS followed with a performance of Dynamite, while Justin Bieber delivered a World Cup version of Everything Hallelujah after being introduced by Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt.

Shakira later returned with a children’s choir from Staten Island, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy to close the show with We Believe in Love.

The interval spectacle brought fresh energy to the stadium following a tense opening half between Argentina and Spain.

It came after an elaborate pre-match closing ceremony featuring Robbie Williams, Post Malone and popular YouTuber IShowSpeed.