Lucien Laviscount links to Shakira’s World Cup 2026 Mexico City show
lucien laviscount is part of the conversation again, but the bigger business move lands on Thursday: Shakira is set to perform the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony song in Mexico City. The 49-year-old songwriter will put new attention on Dai Dai before the hosts’ clash with South Africa.
The booking gives the tournament another artist tie-in with a number attached to it. Shakira was tasked with producing the official song after Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) was used for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and she is also set to co-headline the final half-time show on July 19 with Madonna and BTS.
Mexico City on Thursday
Thursday’s Mexico City slot is the immediate draw, because it places Shakira in front of the opening ceremony audience rather than in a separate promotional campaign. Dai Dai is the song attached to that appearance, and the timing comes ahead of the hosts’ clash with South Africa.
That pairing gives the World Cup a built-in entertainment story at the start of the tournament. It also keeps one of the competition’s most recognizable music names tied to the event across two dates, with the final half-time show on July 19 already on the calendar.
Dai Dai and Waka Waka
2010 is the benchmark here. Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) was used for the World Cup in South Africa, and the new assignment makes Dai Dai part of the same official-song lineage rather than a one-off performance.
49 is also a useful number in this story, because Shakira’s age and track record explain why she keeps getting these placements. The official-song role is not just a cameo; it is a repeat assignment that keeps her attached to the tournament’s biggest televised moments.
Lucien Laviscount and New York
34 is the age of Lucien Laviscount, the actor known for Waterloo Road and Emily in Paris. He met Shakira while filming her 2024 music video for Punteria, and the pair were later spotted having dinner in New York City.
Shakira gave a different picture of her private life in May, saying: “No romance for me for now. There’s no space or time in my life for that. My plate is quite full. My kids are my priority, and my career. Strangely enough, I’m in love with my career as I’ve never been in my life. I’m enjoying my time alone as well.”
From Punteria to July 19
The complication is that Shakira’s public attention is doing two things at once: pushing a World Cup assignment while her dating history keeps circling back into the frame. She met Antonio de la Rua in 2000, and after eleven years they announced a temporary breakup; he later filed a $100m lawsuit in 2012, and the courts ruled against him in 2013.
Her split from Gerard Pique in 2022 added another layer, especially after allegations of infidelity were levelled at him. She said earlier this year that the divorce was her “darkest moment,” which makes Thursday’s Mexico City performance a straight professional win rather than a private story line.
