Arsenal has unveiled two-time Grammy Award winner Tems as the first guest on The Link Up, a special feature where Bukayo Saka meets with various public figures. For its first episode, the two celebrities meet up at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London to discuss similarities in expressing yourself in the studio and delivering on the pitch.
Afrobeats has been the mainstay of the global music industry in recent times. As the genre’s growth reaches new peaks, some of its biggest stars have become household names and find themselves constantly representing football at the biggest stages.
Tems’ Rising Stature In Football
In 2025, Tems became the first African artist to perform at the FIFA World Club Cup final, doing so alongside fellow superstars Coldplay, J Balvin, and Doja Cat. With dignitaries like the President and First Lady of the United States in attendance, she performed to a packed audience of over 81,000 fans; it doesn’t get bigger than that.
Earlier in the year, the singer, songwriter, and producer also acquired an undisclosed stake in MLS club San Diego FC, becoming the first African female to own a stake in an American football club. Tems has seen her stock rise immensely as a music powerhouse, earning her two Grammys, the most by any Nigerian. With her stake in the MLS and her continued star power, it can only be expected that her name continues to ring bells at the highest level.
A Rich History
The budding relationship between Afrobeats stars and the football community has been waxing strong since as early as 2013, with Dbanj closing out the African Cup of Nations in South Africa. At the time, D Banj was the hottest Afrobeats artist on the continent. Fresh off his split with long-time partner and producer Don Jazzy, the singer had signed with Kanye West and his G.O.O.D Music imprint in one of the biggest deals at the time.
In 2012, the energetic singer bagged the Best African Act at the BET and MTV Europe Music Awards, while also winning the Best International Act at the MOBO awards.
His performance was powerful and of great significance because, coincidentally, Nigeria won the competition that year. Performing his single “On Top of The World”, it was broadcast to an estimated 6 billion viewers. His appearance seemed destined and ordained, and opened the doors for future acts. Afrobeats hasn’t looked back since.
Afrobeats Stars Owning The Stage
With the global takeover of Afrobeats, it has become a norm for some of its biggest stars to grace the stages of major tournaments, as the global demand for African music has hit record new heights.
In 2022, Davido made history by becoming the first Nigerian to be featured on a World Cup theme song. The song, Hayya Hayya (Better Together) featured female acts – Trinidad Cardona and AISHA. He also became the first Nigerian to perform at a World Cup final, performing the theme song at the event in Qatar. A major success, the World Cup album has garnered over 136 million views on YouTube.
In the same spirit, Burna Boy became the first African to perform at the UEFA Champions League final in June 2023. The Grammy award-winning artist shared the stage with Brazilian singer Anitta and Swedish DJ Alesso as part of Pepsi’s halftime show. The African Giant, as Burna Boy is fondly called, opened with global smash “Last Last”, then went on to perform a medley of his hits – On the Low, Ye, and Gbona to a packed stadium of over 74,000 fans in Istanbul, Turkey. His electrifying set earned rave reviews and was broadcast to millions of viewers, cementing his place as one of Africa’s biggest entertainers.
By October, Rema was serenading his monster hit single “Calm Down” at the Ballon D’Or ceremony to some of the biggest names in football history. Calm Down had previously shattered streaming records amidst massive cross-over appeal and is currently the most-streamed Afrobeats song ever. At the award show, the singer moved through the crowd, captivating the audience with his performance, while stopping to shake familiar celebrities like Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. On football’s biggest night, Afrobeats was once again on hand to elevate the mood.
Nigeria’s iconic Afropop star Yemi Alade opened the African Cup of Nations ceremony alongside Ivorian group Magic System and Egyptian singer Mohamed Ramadan in Abidjan in January 2024. In continuation of Afrobeats excellence, Davido also opened the 2025 edition of the competition alongside American – Moroccan rapper French Montana in Rabat to a filled stadium of 69,500 fans.
The Romance Continues Off-stage
The dynamic between Afrobeats and football doesn’t just end at global footballing events. It is now commonplace for several football stars and clubs to utilise Afrobeats soundtracks in their official footage or as social media soundtracks.
2023 was a defining year for Afrobeats and football, confirmed by the viral success of Odumodublvck’s Declan Rice. The soundtrack went on to complement Declan Rice’s outstanding season at West Ham and change the trajectory of the artist’s career. Subsequently, when Declan’s standout performances earned him a big-money move to Arsenal, the player and his new club both celebrated the move with the soundtrack.
In 2025, when Lamine Yamal posted himself dancing to “Shake Body” by Skales, he could not have envisaged the impact that was to follow. The seemingly simple post sparked a viral TikTok resurgence for the song, which was released in 2014. The singer and football prodigy later met in Barcelona, and the Catalan giants officially used the song for a campaign. Out of nowhere, this move earned significant revenue for the artist years after the song’s release, highlighting not just the virality but the profitability of music and football as two major entertainment pillars.
In an eye-popping and iconic event, Burna Boy made a surprise appearance outside Buckingham Palace to thrill the England Lionesses’ head coach, Sarina Wiegman, and the rest of the players. The surprise was planned to celebrate England’s women’s team for winning back-to-back European titles in 2025, after their head coach revealed that Burna Boy was her favorite artist.
Guest appearances from Afrobeats stars at major football events, and footballers making appearances at Afrobeats tours and shows have become the norm. This symbiotic relationship has further strengthened the bond between athletes and the genre’s biggest names.
An Exciting Future
With the global takeover of Afrobeats gaining ground as Afrobeats stars become more popular internationally, it is safe to say the world will continue to see some of the genre’s biggest stars heavily involved in sports to varying degrees.
On the African front, Burna Boy, D’banj, and Davido have all invested significantly in local sports clubs, and the future promises to be exciting for the future of Afrobeats and football.
