Songfacts®:

• "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" was the official song of the 2010 World Cup, which took place in South Africa (Spain beat the Netherlands in the final). It's a collaboration between the global superstar Shakira and the South African Afro-fusion band Freshlyground.
  
  The hook is a chant interpolated from a 1986 song called "Zamina Mina (Zangalewa)" by the Cameroonian group Golden Sounds:
  
  Zamina-mina, eh-eh
  Waka-waka, eh-eh
  
  That chant is well known throughout Africa, so it gave "Waka Waka" plenty of local flavor. The literal translation is something like "where do you come from?... go for it!" but it's known as a rallying cry deployed by athletes, soldiers, or anyone needing some encouragement.
• The song was produced by John Hill, who previously helmed the title track from Shakira's 2009 album, She Wolf. Writing credits on the track go to Hill, Shakira, members of Freshlyground, and the writers of "Zamina Mina (Zangalewa)," the song it interpolates.
• Shakira dutifully promoted the song, saying she was honored that the song "was chosen to be part of the excitement and the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup." She added: "The FIFA World Cup is a miracle of global excitement, connecting every country, race, religion and condition around a single passion. It represents an event that has the power to unite and integrate, and that's what this song is about."
• Bits of different African languages are peppered into the lyrics, and there's a little bit of Shakira's native Spanish ("vamos por todo"), but most of the verses are in English and are about believing in yourself. It's basically a song of encouragement set to a propulsive African rhythm, giving it wide global appeal.
• World Cup songs are made to build excitement for the tournament and raise money for charity. "Waka Waka" appears on Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album with proceeds going to various African charities.
• Freshlyground were tapped for this song early on - they took part in the official handing over ceremony held during closing of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Shakira was a pretty obvious pairing because of her widespread popularity and reputation for being great to work with. By the time "Waka Waka" was released in 2010, she had three English-language albums out and a massive hit with her 2006 Wyclef Jean collaboration "Hips Don't Lie," which they performed at the closing ceremonies of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
• Globally, "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" is the most popular World Cup song of all time. It sold about 10 million copies of the single and topped the charts in over 20 countries, including Argentina, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, and the World Cup's host country, South Africa.
  
  The next World Cup song was "We Are One (Ole Ola)" by Pitbull with Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte, for the 2014 tournament in Brazil. That one is a banger and did very well, but not nearly as well as "Waka Waka."
• Shakira and Jennifer Lopez wrapped up the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show by teaming up to perform this song. This was the first time Latin singers were the headline performers at the big game.
• The video features lots of Shakira but also cameos from soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerard Piqué and Lionel Messi. Shakira and Piqué made a love connection at the shoot and started dating after the World Cup. They had two children together, sons Milan (born 2013) and Sasha (born 2015), which she calls her "Waka Kids" because the song brought her together with Piqué. She and Piqué were together until about 2022; Shakira takes him to the woodshed in her 2023 track "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53," where she tells him he traded a Rolex for a Casio (his new girlfriend).
• In the English-speaking world, "waka waka" was mostly associated with the '80s video game Pac-Man until this song came to market.
• Shakira contributed "La La La (Brazil 2014)" to the 2014 World Cup, and also "Dai Dai," the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.