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Uganda: Shakira Invites Uganda's Ghetto Kids to World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show

Shakira has invited Uganda's Ghetto Kids dance troupe to perform at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show in New Jersey. The group, composed of children from Kampala's slums, gained international fame after a viral video and has since performed on major global platforms.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage May 21 – Jun 3, 2026 Published Aug 14

Uganda’s Ghetto Kids Invited to Perform at 2026 World Cup Final with Shakira

The Ugandan dance troupe known as the Ghetto Kids have been invited to perform at the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, according to two separate reports originating from African media outlets. The invitation was extended by Colombian pop star Shakira, who is set to headline the event on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Shakira announced the news in a video shared on her official Instagram account, according to AllAfrica. In the video, she said, "I've already invited the Ghetto Kids from Uganda," while discussing her new single "Dai Dai," the official song of the tournament. The track, which features Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy, blends Afrobeats, dance-pop, world music, and reggaetón, reflecting the global spirit of the event.

Background: From Kampala Streets to Global Stage

The Ghetto Kids were founded in 2014 by Dauda Kavuma, also known as Daouda Kavuma, in the Katwe slums of Kampala, according to both sources. The group is composed of children who have experienced homelessness or difficult circumstances, and the troupe uses dance and performing arts as a means of empowerment and rehabilitation.

The group first gained international attention after a homemade dance video to Eddy Kenzo's hit song "Sitya Loss" went viral. That video, which was filmed on the streets of Kampala, propelled the children to global fame. Since then, they have appeared on major international platforms, including French Montana's "Unforgettable" music video and performances linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, according to AllAfrica.

In 2023, the Ghetto Kids appeared on the popular television show "America's Got Talent," where they advanced to the finals. Their performance on the show further solidified their international reputation, according to Africa News.

The Invitation and the Group's Reaction

Shakira's invitation came after she called on fans worldwide to send in dance videos for "Dai Dai." The Ghetto Kids responded with their own energetic clip, which caught the singer's attention. In her Instagram video, Shakira praised the group and expressed her desire to see more fan creations, saying, "I've seen incredible creations for Dai Dai, the official World Cup song. I really, really would love to see all your creations and your videos, so keep sending them because I'll be watching very closely."

The group's members have expressed excitement and gratitude. Eight-year-old Busingye Josephine Daniella told Africa News, "We can't wait to show the world what we are!" Another member, 16-year-old Ssegirinyi Madwanah, added, "Getting outside the country... and performing on one of the biggest stages... it feels good and it brings a lot of opportunities."

Kavuma Dauda, the group's founder, also spoke to Africa News about the significance of the opportunity. "We have that big dream... It's a very huge opportunity for the Ghetto Kids, for me, for the children," he said. He hopes that the attention will help raise funds for a rehabilitation and education center for the children.

The 2026 World Cup and Its Anthem

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held from June 11 to July 19 across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This is the first time the tournament will be jointly hosted by three nations and the first to feature 48 teams.

The tournament's official song, "Dai Dai," was announced by Shakira and Burna Boy earlier this year. According to AllAfrica, royalties generated from the song will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million by the end of the tournament to expand access to education and football opportunities for children worldwide.

Key Claims

Shakira invited the Ghetto Kids to perform at the 2026 World Cup final halftime show. (Both sources)
The Ghetto Kids were founded in 2014 by Dauda Kavuma in Kampala, Uganda. (Both sources)
The group gained international fame after a viral dance video to Eddy Kenzo's "Sitya Loss." (Both sources)
The Ghetto Kids appeared on "America's Got Talent" and performed in French Montana's "Unforgettable" video. (Africa News)
The 2026 World Cup will be held June 11–July 19 across 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. (AllAfrica)
"Dai Dai" features Burna Boy and blends Afrobeats, dance-pop, world music, and reggaetón. (AllAfrica)
Royalties from the song support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, targeting $100 million. (AllAfrica)

Perspectives

Africa News emphasizes the human-interest angle, focusing on the children's excitement and the transformative impact of the opportunity. The article quotes young members and the founder, highlighting their hopes for education and a better future.

AllAfrica provides a more factual and event-focused report, detailing the announcement, the song's characteristics, and the broader context of the World Cup. It also includes background on the group's history and international achievements.

Both sources agree on the core facts of the invitation and the group's origins, but AllAfrica offers slightly more detail about the tournament logistics and the charity component, while Africa News concentrates on the emotional reactions of the participants.

How each outlet told it

Africa News as of Jun 3, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC

Framing: Human interest story — Positive and uplifting

Facts Included:

Shakira invited the Ghetto Kids to perform at the World Cup
The Ghetto Kids are a Ugandan dance troupe made up of street children
The troupe responded to a call from Shakira for fans to send in dance clips for the new World Cup anthem
The troupe has an international following and has performed on TV show America's Got Talent
The founder of the NGO, Kavuma Dauda, hopes the attention will help them raise funds for a rehabilitation and education centre

Read the source article →

AllAfrica as of May 21, 2026, 5:30 AM UTC

Framing: Event announcement — Informative and objective

Facts Included:

The Ghetto Kids will share the stage with Shakira during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
The tournament will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19
The tournament's official song is Dai Dai, featuring Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy
Royalties generated from the song will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund
The Ghetto Kids first gained international attention after a homemade dance video to Eddy Kenzo's hit song Sitya Loss went viral

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimThe Ghetto Kids, a Ugandan dance troupe made up of street children, were invited by Shakira to perform at the World Cup.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from Africa News as of Jun 3, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimThe 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from AllAfrica as of May 21, 2026, 5:30 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimThe tournament's official song is Dai Dai, featuring Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via AllAfrica as of May 21, 2026, 5:30 AM UTC
ClaimRoyalties generated from the song will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via AllAfrica as of May 21, 2026, 5:30 AM UTC
ClaimThe Ghetto Kids first gained international attention after a homemade dance video to Eddy Kenzo's hit song Sitya Loss went viral.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via AllAfrica as of May 21, 2026, 5:30 AM UTC
ClaimThe troupe has an international following and has performed on TV show America's Got Talent.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Africa News as of Jun 3, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC
ClaimKavuma Dauda, founder of the NGO, hopes the attention will help them raise funds for a rehabilitation and education centre.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Africa News as of Jun 3, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: Africa News, AllAfrica 7 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-14