What does “Dai Dai” mean? Discover the meaning behind Shakira and Burna Boy’s FIFA 2026 anthem, from the Italian title to the multilingual chant of “ikou,” “dale,” and “allez.”
Shakira can easily be considered the queen of FIFA anthems. Her Waka Waka, released for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, became an immortal hit and basically set the gold standard for every anthem that followed. Now, after her unofficial detour with La La La for Brazil 2014, she is back at the helm of the official 2026 World Cup song, joining forces with Burna Boy and a powerhouse team of co-writers including Benny Adam, Jon Bellion, Ed Sheeran, and Alexander Castillo.
Unsurprisingly, the entire world has non-stop been talking about “Dai Dai,” and it’s bound to be the soundtrack of the summer. Just like she did with Waka Waka, Shakira chose a linguistic expression that isn’t universally known, using it to unite fans under words with a universal meaning meant to cheer on their teams. The obvious question everyone is asking right now is “what does dai dai mean,” but the real focus is on why the writers chose these two specific words as the title of the track.
Dai, dai, ikou, dale, allez, let’s go. Everyone will be singing these words, and many will rightly want to know the meaning and the motivation behind these lyrics. In short, it’s time to turn the official anthem into a conscious stadium chant.
Why “Dai Dai”? The universal meaning of the 2026 World Cup anthem
For the 2010 anthem, Shakira chose the words “Waka Waka” from the Fang language spoken in Central Africa, meaning “Do it.” In that way, Waka Waka could be used to motivate your team (“do it, do it!”) in the language of the continent hosting the 2010 World Cup. In 2026, the words chosen by Shakira have that exact same motivational power. Their origin, however, has nothing to do with the host nations of this World Cup.
“Dai Dai” is actually an Italian expression. It is something Italians say constantly when they want to urge someone into action. You hear it in the middle of traffic when the light turns green (“dai, forza!”), or said to a toddler learning to walk (“dai, bravo!”), and of course, football fans yell it when their team is on the attack: “dai, dai!” Being a conjugation of the Italian verb dare (to give), it can easily be interpreted as an invitation to “give it everything you’ve got, give your all.”
In Shakira’s song, “dai dai” is paired with other similar expressions from different languages:
Dai, dai, ikou, dale, allez, let’s go
The meaning is exactly the same across all the chosen languages: alongside Italian, we have Japanese (“ikou”), Spanish (“dale”), French (“allez”), and English (“let’s go”). All of these are everyday, common expressions in their native countries, frequently shouted by fans to pump energy into their teams.
The irony of Italian as a World Cup anthem
As you can imagine, the internet has had a field day pointing out the hilarious irony behind the track’s title: Shakira named the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup after the native language of a country that… didn’t even qualify. Italy will miss out on the 2026 tournament after a brutal play-off elimination against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for rival football fans who did make the cut, it’s the perfect excuse to poke a little fun and flex some extra pride for their own teams.
Most likely, the songwriting team got to work well in advance, aiming to weave together a lineup of languages with a massive historic presence at the tournament. Italian, Spanish, French, Japanese, and English would have felt like incredibly safe bets on paper—even if the Azzurri had already sat out the 2018 and 2022 editions. There is also a purely phonetic reason for giving “dai dai” the spotlight as the official chant: just like with Waka Waka, it relies on the punchy repetition of a single, rhythmic word that is effortlessly easy to remember and scream, even if you don’t speak a word of the language.
Ultimately, with Dai Dai, Shakira is leaning into the exact formula that made Waka Waka an immortal classic, once again teaching fans across the globe a brand-new way to fire up their teams. The ultimate twist of fate, however, is that there won’t be a single Italian fan in the stands using it for theirs this summer.
The meaning behind the lyrics of Dai Dai
The rest of the track’s original lyrics are written in English, and as you might expect, they tell a story of pride and joy for those who managed to fight their way through the qualifiers to reach the biggest stage in world football.
You knew from the day you were born
That here in this place you belong
You been this brave all along
What broke you once made you strong
Any player who gets to step onto the pitch at the World Cup for their country is actively writing history. They have the chance to be remembered as the warriors who defined the tournament, perhaps cementing their legacy in the highlight reels of the World Cup’s greatest goals. It’s a unique milestone reserved for a select few, and this exact mix of happiness, privilege, and the fierce motivation required to perform is the true heart of Shakira’s Dai Dai:
Sweat and blood to write your story
That is how you pavеd the way
You’re about to reach the glory
Only one step away
Burna Boy naturally injects his own signature energy into the track, bringing the smooth rhythms and melodic lines that have made him a global household name over the last few years (the Nigerian star has racked up numerous global hits, starting with Last Last, which was one of the most searched songs of 2022). The track also explicitly celebrates its international roots in a standout verse that rolls through a legendary list of football icons and historic nations:
Pelé, Maradona, Maldini, Romário
Cristiano Ronaldo
El Pibe, Iniesta, Beckham y Kaká
Messi, Mbappé, Salah
Brasil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia
US, England, Germany, France
South Africa, España, México, Japan
Korea, Netherlands
Ultimately, Dai Dai is a track designed to celebrate the World Cup as a truly international stage where the many diverse souls of football come together. And it will likely be remembered as the accidental emergency intervention that allowed Italy to have an official presence at the 2026 tournament—even if it’s just through the linguistic gift loaned to the official song.
