Tyla Dazzles with Her Performance of “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” at the FIFA World Cup
Fresh off making “Game Time” with Atlanta hip-hop superstar Future as one of the official songs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Grammy-winning Mzansi global star Tyla dazzled at the Mexico City Stadium with her performance of the pre-match national anthem of South Africa.
The “Water” hitmaker was arrayed in a body-con dress patterned with strips of the national colours of the South African flag as well as white Jeffery Campbell BOOYAH heels for the performance. The singer-songwriter was confirmed by FIFA to be the designated singer of “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” as part of the tail-ending portion of the tournament’s opening ceremony.
Listen to the rendition below:
“I just sang the whole national anthem. Yho, I literally thought I was gonna faint. The fumes, the sun, everything—the pyro,” she said after the performance, before proceeding to emote while showing the rest of her audience the dress she wore for the performance.
The moment marked yet another international win for the queen of popiano, with Tyla’s most recent crest being a voice over gig for Toy Story 5, where she will be voicing the novel character Inflatable Flamingo.
Her World Cup song alongside Future peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart and #48 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.