Nigerian Afrobeats star, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony, joining BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Brazilian singer Anitta for the first live performance of their joint track ‘Goals’.
The show took place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday night and marked the start of the tournament in the United States.
Bringing together Africa, Asia and Latin America, the trio merged Afrobeats, K-pop and Latin pop in a performance built around the tournament’s global theme.
Rema appeared on stage in a white hooded outfit and shared the spotlight with both performers as the stadium crowd watched the debut unfold.
Goals was released in May as part of the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album, produced by Grammy-winning producer Cirkut, alongside Bava and Pink Slip.
The song blends different regional sounds and has gained traction for its upbeat and forward-looking message.
Rema’s closing verse carries an Afrobeats flow, where he presents himself as a global figure “scoring goals” across music and life.
ALSO READ: FIFA releases World Cup 2026 anthem ‘Goals’ by Rema, LISA, Anitta
Other performers at the ceremony included Future and Tyla.
The event preceded the United States’ opening match against Paraguay.
Rema’s appearance came a day after another Nigerian artist, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, performed with Colombian star Shakira at the unveiling of the official tournament anthem, “Dai Dai,” in Mexico.
