Nigeria didn't qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament's official anthem is Nigerian.

Burna Boy and Shakira released Dai Dai on May 14 as the official FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem. It blends Afrobeats, reggaetón and dance-pop. It's Shakira's second World Cup song. It's the first official World Cup anthem credit for Burna Boy, and the first time an Afrobeats track has carried this particular role.

When the World Cup opens in Mexico City on June 11, Dai Dai is the song that goes with it. When Rema and Tyla perform at the US opening ceremony in Los Angeles on June 12, they'll be carrying African sound into one of the most-watched stages on earth. A record 10 African teams have qualified for this tournament. Morocco. Senegal. Egypt. Ghana. Algeria. Tunisia. Côte d'Ivoire. Cape Verde. South Africa. DR Congo.

Nigeria isn't in the tournament. All three facts are true.

There's an argument that this is fine. Cultural influence travels independently of football results. Burna Boy's presence on the official anthem is a bigger statement than a group-stage exit would have been. The Super Eagles' failure to qualify is the NFF's problem. Afrobeats' success is its own story.

That argument is correct. And it still doesn't make it easier to explain to a 14-year-old in Ibadan why the world is dancing to a Nigerian sound at a tournament Nigeria isn't attending.

The diaspora experience in June will be complicated. You'll hear Dai Dai everywhere. You'll cheer for whoever's playing. And somewhere between the two, you'll find the specific feeling that comes from your culture arriving somewhere your passport isn't following.