Her mom walked into her room with the phone in her hand. “Shakira chose you.” Those three words were enough for Eseniia Mikheeva, 10, a Florida resident, to completely break down in the most beautiful way possible: screams, jumps, hands covering her face, and a hug that said it all. Her dad, choreographer Alexander Mikheev, recorded everything.
The story began on May 19, 2026, when Shakira posted an open call on Instagram for dancers to join her in the halftime show of the World Cup final. Eseniia — of Russian origin, with more than 1 million followers and rhythm since she was 7 months old according to her parents — sent a video of herself dancing to “Dai Dai”, the tournament’s official song, dressed in a Brazil jersey. Shakira not only selected her: she reposted her and publicly wrote “Too much cuteness!! @esenya_miss you have so much talent!” 💛
On July 19, at MetLife Stadium, this girl is going to dance before the whole world. Alongside Uganda’s Ghetto Kids and Shakira herself. Does anyone else need a video to brighten their day? 🥹✨
Here is the emotional clip: