Why Davido performed at the World Cup closing ceremony amid tragedy

David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, opened up about his historic performance at the FIFA World Cup closing ceremony in 2022. In an interview with Beat FM, the Nigerian singer talked about how he was in a state of dilemma following the passing of his son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, a few months prior. "You know the vibe was cool then but I didn’t really look at it like ‘Oh they’re gonna call me back to do the World Cup’ or stuff like that." Also read: 'This would break anyone,' Davido on son's tragic death Davido explained that he was approached to perform at the event, but the timing of the invitation left him unsure of whether or not to accept. "I always thought like, is it the main one? Like is the main main one? I didn’t even know it was like the main main main one till like a week to going to Qatar," he said. He went on to share that when he was informed that the invitation was indeed for the main event, he had to decide. Despite his personal struggles, Davido accepted the opportunity, as it was rare for artists to perform at such an event. "This is like a year ago we did the FIFA draw, which we performed the official theme song, and I think they had like 5 or 6 official theme songs but that was like the first one," he recalled. Also read: RIP: Tributes pour in as Davido's close pals confirm, son's death after drowning accident Davido shared that he believed that performing at the event was what his late son would have wanted. "So it was just like ah! Should I do it? But then I was like ah, this is an opportunity that might never come again, and people don’t even get it in their whole career. And I was like man, my son would probably want me to do it. I was like ‘okay, I think I’ll do this one, then probably just disappear again’," he said. The singer described the experience as amazing, highlighting the hospitality of the people of Qatar. "Shout out to the Qatar people, very loving people and caring people. They took care of us the whole time. I feel like that was one of the best places I could have gone after what happened to me," he said. Also read: Here's how Davido is reclaiming his life He performed the official World Cup anthem, "Hayya Hayya" alongside Trinidad and Tobago's Cardona and Qatari singer Aisha, in front of a crowd of about 88,000 fans at Lusail Stadium. The closing ceremony, dubbed "A Night to Remember," also featured performances by other musical acts, such as Puerto Rico's Ozuna and the Democratic Republic of Congo's Gims. Despite the tragedy he faced, Davido found the strength to perform on the world stage and honor his son's memory. His decision to perform at the FIFA World Cup closing ceremony was a testament to his professionalism and dedication to his craft. Also read: Davido reportedly arrested in Dubai in connection to stabbing incident