Shakira’s dancers moved fast to shut down the rumor: they said the singer really did appear at the Mundial 2026 opening in the Estadio Ciudad de México, after posts on X claimed the woman on stage looked like a double. The group said they could confirm “cien por ciento” that it was her.
The dispute started right after the June 11 ceremony, when viewers began sharing clips and writing things like “Esta no es Shakira ni de chiste,” “Soy el único que piensa que Shakira no era la verdadera Shakira,” and “Esa no es Shakira.” Others pushed back, saying the camera angles during the broadcast made her look different. What changed the conversation was the public response from the people who were on stage with her.
The dancers said they performed with Shakira in the inauguration and told critics to check the video clips from their own stories. They added that they have a photo with her, spoke with her and saw how much work went into the show. One of their strongest lines was also the simplest: they said they could confirm she was the one who performed, and urged people not to diminish her work.
That performance came during the opening of the Copa del Mundo México, Estados Unidos y Canadá 2026, where Shakira joined Burna Boy for “Dai Dai” and the trophy sat at the center of the field before thousands of attendees. The ceremony featured lights, fireworks, yellow clothing and a large group of dancers, and the match that followed ended with México beating Sudáfrica by two goals in Grupo A.
Shakira later posted that she was very happy for her Mexican family on an unforgettable day, then said she hoped the World Cup would move forward in peace and become a source of joy and unity for the world. She also tied the moment to education, saying young champions need opportunities like schooling to thrive. That message fits the work she has spent years building through Fundación Pies Descalzos, her UNICEF role and the education-focused causes she has backed since 1997, but it also leaves one narrow question hanging: who, exactly, was first behind the double claim on X, and why did a broadcast performance turn into a debate about whether the singer was even there at all?
