Who are Dan and Shay? Meet the USA national anthem singers for 2026 World Cup opening ceremony

As the United States prepares to take the field for the 2026 World Cup in North America, a couple of country music stars will get the party started.

FIFA has named Dan and Shay as the national anthem singers for The Star-Spangled Banner ahead of the United States' opening match against Paraguay on Friday. The game, which will be played in Los Angeles, is the team's first game as the primary host country for this year's World Cup.

There is much excitement for the 2026 World Cup in America, and this national anthem will be the first time that fans can show off their pride for the USMNT. Get to know the country duo performing ahead of the opening match.

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Who are Dan and Shay?

Dan and Shay are a country music duo from Nashville, Tennessee that consists of singers and songwriters Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney. Smyers is originally from Pennsylvania and attended Carnegie Mellon University, while Mooney is from Arkansas and attended Valley Forge Christian College.

The duo met in 2012 and released a song in 2013, beginning what would become a fruitful music career. Since 2014, Dan and Shay have released six studio albums with a seventh set to be released in August. Their most popular songs are "Tequila, "Speechless" and "10,000 Hours," the latter of which was a collaboration with Justin Bieber.

Dan and Shay have been nominated for many awards in their career including for the Grammys, Country Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards. The duo has three Grammys to their name, all in the Best Country Duo Group performance category, and they have won a variety of Billboard Music Awards and Country Music Awards as well.

Additionally, Dan and Shay have appeared on "The Voice" as a collective pair of judges, along with appearing on a season of "American Idol."

2.26.24 | @NBCTheVoice pic.twitter.com/k3MP7cDleg

Dan and Shay awards

Here's a list of the major awards that Dan and Shay have won:

• 2018 CMT Music Awards - Duo Video of the Year ("Tequila")
• 2019 Grammy Awards - Best Country Duo Group Performance ("Tequila")
• 2019 Billboard Music Awards - Top Country Duo/Group
• 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards - Duo of the Year, Single of the Year ("Tequila")
• 2019 CMT Music Awards - Duo Video of the Year ("Speechless")
• 2020 Grammy Awards - Best Country Duo Group Performance ("Speechless")
• 2020 iHeart Music Awards - Best Lyrics ("10,000 Hours")
• 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards - Duo of the Year
• 2021 Grammy Awards - Best Country Duo/Group Performance ("10,000 Hours")
• 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards - Duo of the Year
• 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards - Best Duo/Group of the Year

USMNT World Cup schedule

MORE: Full list of World Cup 2026 opening ceremony performers, from Shakira to Katy Perry