The video featuring Ghetto Kids performing alongside singers Shakira and Burna Boy during the World Cup Halftime Show a week ago has already generated close to 30 million views on FIFA’s YouTube page.
The Ghetto Kids were among a lineup of performers like Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay. The show produced by Global Citizen sought to raise $100 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to expand access to quality education and football for children worldwide.
The official video for Dai Dai, the 2026 World Cup Song is already north of 560 million views on YouTube.
Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final drew more than 62.8 million viewers in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen, making it the most-watched World Cup final and soccer telecast in American history. In the U.K, an audience of at least 19 million viewers watched the game on BBC (15.8 million) and ITV (3.4m) according to data from the Digital-i agency.
It had already been estimated that the final match would eclipse the 1.5 billion people (globally) who watched the 2022 World Cup final match in Qatar.
These are the eyeballs that Uganda’s Ghetto Kids got from their World Cup campaign. Theirs has been nothing short of a resounding success. Even though E! reported none of the singers that headlined the halftime show was paid, the group of young dancers who have become internet sensations for their passionate entertainment, raked in millions of dollars in brand equity. The world now knows about them and it would be ridiculous for anybody to claim the kids featuring on that platform was mere coincidence.
Whereas the Ghetto Kids are no strangers to big moments, among them a halftime performance at a PSG game in France, Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent, World Cup 2022 in Qatar and 2023 CAF Awards in Morrocco, their 2026 collaboration with Shakira is undoubtedly their peak moment so far. A turning point is a specific time or event when an important change happens and a situation starts moving in a new direction. For these little children, their recent exploits in the U.S. qualify as their turning point.
And the Colombian singer famous for hits like Hips Don’t Lie, Whenever, Wherever, Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) and La Tortura confessed as much when Ghetto Kids joined her at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, during the second leg of her record-breaking Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour in the U.S.
After a passionate performance of Dai Dai alongside the kids, she confessed how much she loves them.
“We’ve been together, I love you so much. I want you to meet 8 special people who have changed our lives,” she said to screaming fans. “You have changed our lives,” the singer emphasized to the kids who stood by her side wearing yellow outfits that matched hers, consumed by sheer joy. Then she proceeded to say out their individual names one after the other. They would later circle around her sandwiching her in a group hug before they lifted her in the air.
In its review of the show, Billboard listed Shakira’s moment with Ghetto Kids among the top 5 highlights ranking it “one of the sweetest moments of the night”.
“Between songs, the pop icon took a moment to introduce each child by name, earning loud cheers from the crowd. The kids then surrounded her with hugs, chanted her name and adorably tried to lift her into the air (the lift was sort of successful), creating a heartwarming moment that had both the audience and Shakira smiling from ear to ear,” Billboard wrote.
For the 8 in particular – Ivan (11), Ketra (10), Joseph (8), Ciara (10), Brighton (11), Josephine (10), Ricky and Esther (29) – working closely with Shakira as well as meeting other music stars such as Ed Sheeran, BTS, Justin Bieber among others, will be something not many other memories can equal.
Before they left Uganda for the U.S., Ghetto Kids had long succeeded in evoking an emotional connection with the millions of people from all walks of life that follow them on social media. Their creativity, passion and the joy with which they deliver their dance routines has always sparked warmth and one needn’t look further than the comment section of each post they put out.
But the time they spent around Shakira the last few weeks made the authentic joy they represent even more vivid and the emotions they spark more intimate.
Esther Namata, 29, who leads choreography for the dance group described the time spent with Shakira as one that changed her life.
“Our last show with Shakira in Brooklyn left us in tears. What a beautiful journey it has been with the Queen,” Namata posted on Instagram.
“Thank you for loving us so genuinely, for opening your arms to us and for giving me and the Ghetto Kids an opportunity to work alongside you. These are moments we will carry in our hearts forever,” she added.
“The Ghetto Kids have brought us their contagious joy and love, and have inspired us so much with their talent, to remind us that like them, there are many kids who live forgotten and who possess an enormous potential waiting to be unlocked and are just waiting for the opportunity to offer their best,” Shakira posted on her social pages on Saturday.
On Facebook alone, the post which contains a video of the singer exchanging endless hugs with the kids and shedding tears as she bid them farewell, has already prompted more than 3,000 comments, over 2,000 shares and 1.5 million views.
“Don’t be sad because we are going to be friends forever. I promise you. I’m gonna call you when you get to Uganda. Milan and Sasha [Shakira’s children] are gonna call you,” she tells them in the video, even teasing that there is a chance she will invite them join her on the European leg of her tour. She hailed Ghetto Kids for “transforming our lives with your magic”.
On Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, where the singer and dancer has repeatedly posted about the Ghetto Kids, she has a combined audience of over 280 million followers.
As the curtains come down on the World Cup 2026, these children, many of whom come from underprivileged families will be hoping that the thrill that came with it and the exposure they earned can bring attention to their story, especially their plight.
A documentary directed by Phil Griffiths released in November 2025 takes the viewer to Nabisalu, a ghetto community in Kampala’s Makindye Division where the Ghetto Kids’ story begins. As Dauda Kavuma (founder of Ghetto Kids) guides the camera on a tour of Nabisalu, he points out the congestion, high crime rate and hardships that characterize the life of children that live there.
“But there is too much talent here, Kids here are really talented,” he says in the documentary.
“It’s about school. We dance to go to school. We dance to change life. Making lives better through dance.”
The visual story captures the children’s personal accounts of what their life was, the utopia that dance represents for them, and their individual ambitions if they were to finish school. Akram for example, the face that has become front and centre in the Ghetto Kids video clips, shares how he once ate leftovers from the garbage pits. He says he has so many dreams.
The heightened visibility that the World Cup handed Ghetto Kids has potential to drive increased interest in who they are and what their story is. That in itself is a beginning of limitless possibilities, among them sponsorships, endorsement deals, film deals and a spike in their social media following.
Not that there hasn’t been precedent. Their exceptional performance during the 2023 Britain’s Got Talent (BGT), which earned them a Golden Buzzer and headlines in international media saw their Instagram following jump from 3.8 million to 4 million and their YouTube channel grow by 200,000 subscriptions in a single day. Their Facebook following jumped from 1.8 million followers to 2.4 million as a result.
Masaka Kids Afrikana, another popular dance group based in Masaka, Uganda, is testament to what can result from global spotlight. In 2025, Netflix released a documentary short titled Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within premised on the story of Masaka Kids. The project was a collaboration with Archewell Productions, a media company owned by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Back in 2020 at the height of the Covid lockdown that brought the entire world to a halt, with millions of people stuck at home, Harry and Meghan had been introduced to clips of the Ugandan kids dancing. The virality that the internet had gieven to Masaka Kids found its way in Montecito, California (U.S.) where the couple were building their new life after stepping back from Royal duties in the U.K. The contagious videos by Masaka Kids won the heart of a young boy named Archie Mountbatton Windsor (Prince Archie), the son of Harry and Meghan.
According to Harry and Megan’s publicist, watching the Masaka Kids became a regular lockdown routine in the household. Archie loved their videos and his parents loved seeing him light up as he watched. Later, when the opportunity came to be part of a documentary about the Masaka Kids, Archwell Productions didn’t hesitate. As Harry and Meghan publicist put it, when the Duke and Duchess were made aware of the documentary short, they quickly recognized the kids from their viral videos and fell in love with their deepest stories.
Masaka Kids Africana, the charity that supports the children told PLUGGED that exposure from the Netflix documentary “has had a significant impact on both the children and the organisation, as well as promoting Uganda as a whole.”
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan are producing a documentary about Masaka Kids for Netflix
“Since the documentary was released, many more people from different countries have come to Uganda every month to visit the children, learn about our work, and experience the beauty of our country. The increased exposure has also helped more orphaned and vulnerable children access education and other opportunities through the support we have received,” a representative from the charity wrote in a statement to PLUGGED.
It also turns out two of the 8 kids that have recently been involved in the World Cup campaign are part of Masaka Kids. Joseph and Brighton were embedded in the Ghetto Kids in what seems like a collaboration between the two dance camps which share alot in common.
“During the recent FIFA World Cup, we had the opportunity to work alongside the Ghetto Kids. Two of the children who performed with Shakira – Brighton and Joseph – are from Masaka Kids Africana, and we are very proud of them. Their participation has also brought more international attention to the talent and potential of Ugandan children,” further reads the statement.
Back home, government through Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is alive to the potential that lies in Ghetto Kids towards promoting destination Uganda. Juliana Kagwa, the chief executive of UTB told PLUGGED that Ghetto Kids represent the spirit of Uganda “because they’re young, energetic, joyous and friendly”.
“Everything we keep telling the world about Uganda, they saw it on one stage. In case they thought we were joking, we are a young demographic generally,” Kagwa told PLUGGED in an exclusive interview.
She says moments like Ghetto Kids at the World Cup spotlight the positive side of Uganda and could sway undecided travellers or those that have previously underrated the destination, to finally visit the country.
Uganda is increasingly moving towards selling experiences that don’t fall under the conventional tourist attractions like wildlife, safaris and geographical features. Instead, the country is positioning itself as a destination for among others cultural tourism given its cultural diversity.
According to Kagwa, UTB has recently entered a partnership with Ghetto Kids which will see the young dancers play an ambassadorial role for Explore Uganda, the official tourism destination brand and marketing campaign.
“It will please you to know that just a month before that [Ghetto Kids performance at the World Cup final], we were actually finalizing an ambassador engagement with them, with the framework of Uganda tourism,” she revealed.
“We believe they’re one of our more unique assets because they encompass everything we keep telling the world about Uganda – joy, energy, and hope because their story is one of hope. They have come from all sorts of challenges and overcome that to get on what is the biggest world stage in sport.”
Regarding what the UTB deal means especially in the context of the financial needs of Ghetto Kids, Kagwa did not give specifics except to say “we will do our part in terms of what we can do contractually to support them”. She says the deal will last one year, subject to renewal.
“But just on a personal note for me, I’m in it for the long haul. So, I plan to be with them in the partnership for as long as Ghetto Kids are happy to be with us as well,” the UTB CEO said.
The private sector was among the early converts with brands like MTN Uganda and Mirinda leveraging the digital visibility from Ghetto Kids’ content to endorse their products.
Pearl Kitimbo, Brand and Communications Manager for Crown Beverages says Ghetto Kids resonate with young people who have defied the odds and thrived in life. The boldness that the kids represent, she says, is aligned with what Mirinda stands for. She confirmed there’s monetary value to the partnership though she couldn’t disclose a figure.
Kagwa says diversifying Uganda’s tourism products is what has preoccupied her since taking on the role of Uganda’s chief marketer in May 2025. The people, she adds, cannot be detached from Uganda as they encapsulate the true spirit, the heart, the culture of Uganda.
“For me, the people of Uganda are the biggest asset we have. You know, the wildlife and landscape are one thing, but the people who create the experience, the people who make you feel a certain way as a visitor when you’re here. They are a phenomenon in themselves.”
When the kids return to Uganda on Monday July 27, UTB will give them the welcome they deserve, Kagwa confirmed.
For the last 13 years, Ghetto Kids have brought smiles to millions of people around the world through their captivating dance videos attracting millions of fans online. They have collaborated with big international artistes like French Montanna and American rapper 6ix9ine. Their work has also earned them admiration from P. Diddy and Nicki Minaj, and have met football players like Sergio Aguero, Kylian Mbappé and Rio Fedinand.
The dance group is part of Inspire Ghetto Kids Foundation, an NG0 founded in 2007 by Dauda Kavuma to provide hope for the orphaned, vulnerable, deprived and destitute children seeking a second chance to life. The organization provides education, healthcare, shelter, mentorship, clothing and other basic needs. According to Kavuma, there are currently 60 children under his custody but he estimates at least 500 children have at some point gone through his charity’s hands.
