EJAE will take the stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City on Thursday local time to help debut the tournament’s official anthem, "DNA," hours before the host nation's kickoff against South Africa at Estadio Azteca.
FIFA announced EJAE will join Andrea Bocelli and a roster of guest singers for a special show ahead of the tournament's first match; the anthem was released on streaming services Wednesday, June 10 via SALXCO UAM and Def Jam Recordings. FIFA described "DNA" as embodying the spirit of solidarity and unity for the historic tournament.
The staging places a Korean lyricist and performer on one of soccer’s largest global platforms: EJAE co-wrote Korean lyrics for the anthem and said representing Korea on that stage is a distinct honor. She framed the appearance as the continuation of a lifelong connection to the World Cup, recalling being in Seoul for the 2002 tournament and watching strangers embrace in celebration on the street.
The scale of the event underscores the moment. The 2026 World Cup is the first to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will feature 48 teams across 16 cities, and opens with a program of entertainment that FIFA has spread across multiple venues and dates. The anthem debut in Mexico City is one piece of a broader schedule that includes another opening ceremony in Los Angeles on Friday local time headlined by BLACKPINK’s Lisa with Katy Perry, and a final in New Jersey on July 19 that will feature BTS in a halftime-style performance.
Andrea Bocelli, who is also on the Mexico City bill, framed the song title as self-explanatory and said performing the World Cup anthem is a deeply personal honor; his participation adds a classical pop strand to the ceremony’s pop and global-K-pop elements. Lisa’s contribution to the World Cup soundtrack — including the track "Goals," made with Anitta and Rema — and the Los Angeles ceremony put several of the tournament’s marquee entertainment moments in different host cities within hours of each other.
That split creates the central friction for the opening: a single global tournament opening expressed through simultaneous, city-specific ceremonies. For EJAE the consequence is immediate and practical — she will perform in Mexico City while a separate main event in Los Angeles will showcase other headliners — and it leaves open questions about how FIFA will balance live attention across two coast-to-coast moments.
Practical details: the anthem "DNA" appeared online Wednesday, and EJAE is scheduled on Thursday before the Mexico–South Africa kickoff. The match itself begins at Estadio Azteca, where the live debut of the song is timed as a prelude to the opening whistle. Fans who want to hear EJAE’s contribution live should tune to the Mexico City ceremony; viewers elsewhere will hear the anthem through the tournament broadcast and streaming platforms that carry FIFA’s entertainment programming.
The remaining unknown is the exact performance order and staging for Mexico City. FIFA has confirmed EJAE as one of the artists debuting "DNA," but it has not released a running order or the timing of each set within the pregame show. What matters for the tournament’s first night is clear: regardless of where she appears in the sequence, EJAE will be on stage in Mexico City to launch the official anthem live immediately before Mexico’s match with South Africa — the moment that will determine how big a spotlight she receives on a night of split ceremonies and global attention.
