Mexico city: A debate erupted online when questions arose about whether the artist performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Mexico on June 11th was indeed Shakira, or if it was a lookalike. Netizens noticed several points suggesting that the singer performing in front of the global audience might not be the real Shakira.
According to Thai News Agency, at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026, Shakira, the 49-year-old singer, is scheduled to perform "Dai Dai," the official song of the 23rd FIFA World Cup. Although the performance went as scheduled, it sparked controversy among many music and sports fans who felt that the female singer appearing under large black sunglasses might not be the famous artist they were expecting. This led to speculation that a lookalike might have been hired to perform at the World Cup opening ceremony in place of the actual artist.
Three points that netizens tried to find fault with were: a dance style that was different from what we're used to, being taller than usual, and a lighter shade of hair color. Foreign media have also discovered that in the Latin music scene there is another female singer who is said to bear a striking resemblance to Shakira, almost like a twin: Rebecca Maiellano, a Venezuelan singer who rose to fame for mimicking the Colombian superstar's performances, to the point that even Shakira herself has expressed admiration.
The evidence confirms that it is the real Shakira. While the decision to hide her face behind sunglasses raised many questions among fans, some netizens came forward with evidence stating that the artist performing at the World Cup opening ceremony was indeed Shakira. The claim of a change in height was likely due to the height of the shoes worn on stage, and the change in facial features was probably due to swelling after Botox injections, which may have been the reason Shakira decided to perform while concealing her face behind sunglasses.
Euronews compared Shakira's face to that of the stunt double and found a similar feature: a small scar in the middle of her forehead. This suggests it's unlikely that a body double with a similar scar would have been used. Furthermore, there is evidence of Shakira's appearance during rehearsals at the Estadio Azteca a few hours before the opening ceremony began.
The Marca news agency published a video of Argentinian sports journalist Marcello Benedotto deciding to suspend his pre-opening ceremony coverage mid-air to walk out of frame to greet Shakira after seeing the singer finish rehearsing her performance of "Dai Dai" live. Shakira is currently touring in the United States as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, which began in early 2025, making her the highest-grossing Spanish-language artist with a concert tour of all time. She is also scheduled to perform at the closing ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in the United States, alongside Madonna and BTS, on July 19th.