How Much Was Davido Paid for the Qatar 2022 World Cup?

Davido's World Cup appearance was one of the biggest moments of his career, and it came only weeks after the death of his son, Ifeanyi. Naturally, people want to know what he earned from it.

Here is what can be checked, what is rumour, and why the two keep getting mixed up.

How much was Davido paid for the World Cup 2022?

The amount has not been made public. No statement from FIFA, the Qatar organisers or Davido's management gives a fee for his closing ceremony performance.

The figures you see online come from fans and blogs, not documents:

• "Over $1 million": this claim was shared by social media users after the final. Legit.ng quoted it as a fan comment, not as a confirmed payment.
• $10 million, $15 million, $20 million: fan claims with no source at all.
• "He was not paid": also a claim from rival fans, with no source.

Some of the $1 million talk is borrowed from Rod Stewart. In November 2022, Stewart told the Sunday Times he had turned down an offer of over $1 million to perform in Qatar, over the country's human rights record. That was his offer, about a show in Qatar. It tells us nothing certain about what Davido was offered for the closing ceremony.

What did Davido perform at the World Cup?

He performed "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)", the first single from the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 soundtrack, with American singer Trinidad Cardona and Qatari singer Aisha.

• Released: 1 April 2022, the day of the World Cup final draw in Doha
• Producer: RedOne
• Meaning of the title: "hayya" is an Arabic word that means "let's go"

The song was released as the first of several soundtrack singles. Releasing a song on the day of the draw is not the same as being paid for a performance, which is another point the rumours often blur.

When was Davido's World Cup closing ceremony performance?

Sunday 18 December 2022, at Lusail Stadium, before the final between Argentina and France. The crowd was about 88,000 people, and the match was broadcast around the world.

The show was billed as "A Night to Remember". Other acts at the closing show included Ozuna from Puerto Rico and Gims from the Democratic Republic of Congo. One Nigerian outlet gave the date as 19 December, which is wrong; the final was on the 18th.

It was Davido's first major performance after his son died on 31 October 2022. He later said the rehearsals were hard because the team had to arrive a week early, about a month after his loss.

How much did Davido make from the World Cup overall?

There is no reliable total. Besides any performance fee, an artist on an official World Cup song can earn from streams, radio play and the attention that brings new fans and bookings. Those earnings are real but private, and no one has published Davido's numbers.

What can be said fairly: being the Nigerian face of the World Cup's closing show raised his global profile, and he released his album Timeless in March 2023, three months later, to a big reception. Linking a dollar figure to that would be guessing.

What about Davido's outfit at the World Cup final?

Blogger Tunde Ednut, a friend of the singer, claimed the full outfit and jewellery were worth about N681 million. That figure comes from one person close to Davido, and it has not been independently checked.

How much was Davido paid for the World Cup 2026?

Also not disclosed. For the 2026 tournament, Davido appears on the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album, on the track "No Place Like Home" with Major Lazer and Nelly Furtado. Neither FIFA nor the label has said anything about fees or royalty splits for the artists.

The official 2026 song, "Dai Dai", was by Shakira and Burna Boy, not Davido.

Frequently asked questions

Was Davido paid $1 million for the World Cup?

That figure has never been confirmed. It came from social media users, not from FIFA, the organisers or Davido's team.

Who sang Hayya Hayya with Davido?

American singer Trinidad Cardona and Qatari singer Aisha. The song was produced by RedOne and released on 1 April 2022.

Did Davido perform at the World Cup opening ceremony?

No. His live World Cup performance was at the closing ceremony on 18 December 2022, before the final.

Which Nigerian artist performed at the Qatar World Cup?

Davido. He was the Nigerian star on the official soundtrack and on stage at the closing ceremony.

Why did Rod Stewart refuse to perform in Qatar?

He said he turned down an offer of over $1 million because of Qatar's human rights record. His offer is separate from Davido's performance.