Tyla to perform SA national anthem for Fifa World Cup opening

South Africans around the world will have their eyes fixed on Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on Thursday as Bafana Bafana take on hosts Mexico in theopening matchof the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Adding to the occasion, two-time Grammy-award-winning icon Tyla is set to perform the South African national anthem before kickoff, bringing Mzansi flavour to one of the world’s biggest sporting stages. She will also be performing a medley of hits, including a collaborative afropop Fifa track with US rapper Future, titledGame Time.

#Tyla🇿🇦 will perform the national anthem, “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika,” at the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June🏟️ Opening Ceremony DetailsDate: Thursday, 11 June 2026Time:17:30 GMT / 19:30 SASTVenue: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium)https://t.co/IxLWMtKSSUpic.twitter.com/wPnQPV3mlb The match marks a historic moment for South Africa, which returns to the Fifa World Cup after a 16-year absence. It is also a remarkable replay of history. The last time South Africa appeared in a World Cup opener was in 2010, whenSiphiwe Tshabalala’s unforgettable goal helped secure a 1-1 draw against Mexico in Johannesburg.

Now, 16 years later, the two nations meet again to launch football’s biggest tournament. For South Africans living abroad, particularly in New York City, the occasion has become a rallying point for national pride. Community organisations, sports bars and cultural groups across the city are preparing watch parties as supporters gather to cheer on Bafana Bafana and celebrate one of South Africa’s brightest global stars.

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“Football is the international community’s favourite sport and the Fifa World Cup the ultimate sporting prize,” said South African consul general of New York Simon Cardy to TimesLIVE. “South Africans are gathering at viewing parties, braais, and pubs across the city, and the mayor is giving press conferences reminiscing about his experience at the 2010 World Cup of Vuvuzelas.” The South African consulate, in conjunction with The Paley Museum, is presenting an official Fifa World Cup watch party by invitation to various consulates in the city that are hosting matches. The Africa Centre and El Museo del Barrio are hosting a free community screening of the World Cup opening match in addition to a Youth Day celebration.

In Brooklyn, OkayAfrica and creative community Elsewhere are hosting a free World Cup watch party that has expanded its venue due to extremely high demand. Neil Diamond, president of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the US, has been planning a series of cultural, sporting, and economic diplomacy events in Atlanta, Georgia, during the World Cup.

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