The performance came a month after the passing of Davido’s son.

Acclaimed Nigerian Afrobeats artist David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, said his experience of performing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Davido performed at the closing ceremony on 18 December 2022, marking the end of the tournament.

In an interview with Beat FM, the singer expressed his gratitude for the rare opportunity, acknowledging that some artists never experience such a moment in their entire career.

Davido shared that he initially had reservations about performing due to the recent loss of his son.

“When I was asked to perform at Qatar FIFA World Cup, they said we had to come a week before and rehearse, and that’s like a month after my son passed. So, I was just like, should I do?”

However, he ultimately decided to seize the opportunity, which might never come again.

“This is like an opportunity that might never come again. Some people don’t even get it in their whole career, and I was like, ok, I think I will do this one and probably just disappear again,” he said in the interview.

Davido expressed his appreciation to people in Qatar for their warm hospitality during his time in the country.

“Thanks to the Qatari people, we went to Qatar, very loving, caring people. They took care of us, and after the World Cup, we returned.”

The Nigerian artist is one of the biggest music performers in Africa. He has worked with worldwide superstars, including Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj, and has received MTV and BET music awards.

He became known in the region after becoming one of the three artists who sang the World Cup track ‘Hayya Hayya’.

The popular song, which was released by Def Jam Recordings and produced by RedOne, also has American pop star Trinidad Cordona singing with Davido and Qatar’s very own Aisha, and has racked up more than 100 million views on YouTube alone.

Davido’s new album

The American-born entertainer, who took nearly six months off to deal with his son’s death following the 2022 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony, has since released a new album and said he is “ready to stand up again.”

Since he started making music 11 years ago, Davido has released four studio albums, the latest of which is the 17-track “Timeless” album.