By Toby TAIWO
Skakira has done it again. Following her hits “La La La” for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and “Waka Waka” (This Time for Africa) for South Africa 2010, on May 23, Shakira released the official music video for the new anthem of the 2026 World Cup. And fans were quick to react.
The premiere drew attention for various reasons, but what truly set social media ablaze was an unexpected scene at the beginning of the video: Lionel Messi speaking in English.
The video begins with Kylian Mbappé saying, “Shakira, we are ready,” joined by other stars such as Harry Kane, Luis Díaz, Christian Pulisic, Santiago Giménez, Alphonso Davies, Vinícius Junior, Takefusa Kubo, Jamal Musiala, Rodrigo Hernández, and Erling Haaland, all saying “we are ready.”
However, at the end, the captain of the Argentine national team also says this phrase in English, something that particularly surprised his fans because, throughout his career, Leo has always avoided speaking publicly in languages other than Spanish.
This isn’t the first time Messi has appeared in one of Shakira’s songs, as he had previously participated in “La La La” and “Waka Waka.” However, social media exploded with memes and comments celebrating the #10’s bilingual moment:
“Shakira is the first person in history to get Messi to speak English. She’s so iconic,” “Messi speaking English before GTA 6,” “Messi speaking English before GTA 6,” users wrote following the video’s release.
