Pop star Shakira led a line-up of Latin singers who helped open the biggest ever World Cup before the opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa on Thursday.
The storied Azteca Stadium - officially known at the Mexico City Stadium during the World Cup - hosted the party and has been renovated for the 48-team tournament, which is being co-hosted with the United States and Canada.
After a series of flops when it comes to World Cup songs over the last three men's tournaments, football's governing body FIFA went back to Colombian Shakira for this year's edition after her 2010 song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" went viral.
This year's song "Dai Dai" - written alongside Nigerian recording artist Burna Boy - was performed in front of a packed Azteca, which is the first arena on the globe to host three men's World Cups.
The finals in 1970 and 1986 were held there and featured late football greats Pelé and Diego Maradona respectively.
"Dai, Dai" means "Let's go" in Italian - presumably written before Italy failed to qualify. Several Latin American singers also performed ahead of the first ever football World Cup held in three countries, while the ceremony started with dancers in indigenous dress.
The last World Cup opening ceremony in North America in 1994 included Diana Ross infamously missing a penalty. There were no such mishaps here although it appeared to start late.
Separate ceremonies will take place on Friday at the first matches in Canada (Toronto) and the US (Inglewood in Los Angeles County). Canadian singers Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette are set to perform at the first and US pop star Katy Perry at the second.
