Exclusive | Nora Fatehi on Her FIFA World Cup 2026 Song and Upcoming Football-Inspired EP: 'It's Music With a Purpose'

A little over a decade into her Bollywood career, Nora Fatehi has steadily expanded her scope, transitioning from an actor and performer into a singer navigating the international music landscape.

In the days leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, four years after she took the stage at the 2022 closing ceremony in Qatar, she released 'Siir Siir': a multilingual football anthem drawn from a Moroccan stadium chant.

The track arrives at a moment when Fatehi is expanding her ambitions beyond acting and dance, having spent over five years carving out a distinct space for herself in the music industry.

Born and raised in Canada, with Moroccan roots and a career that has largely been built in India over the past decade, Fatehi sees 'Siir Siir' as a reflection of the cultural intersections that have shaped her journey. She describes the song as a milestone in her evolution as a singer and says it provides a look into her upcoming football-inspired EP. The project, she says, reflects a more intentional approach to music-making, with greater creative control than she has had in previous ventures.

Ahead of her performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Canada, Fatehi opened up about returning to the FIFA stage, the making of 'Siir Siir', what her upcoming EP represents, and wanting a career that resists easy definition in a conversation with THR India.

How did 'Siir Siir' come about?

The song actually started in Morocco, when I was attending football matches and hearing tens of thousands of people chanting "Siir Siir" in the stadium. It's a very popular Moroccan football chant that means "Go, go!" The energy was incredible. I remember calling my producer, Sanjoy, and asking if we could build a football anthem around that chant and take something deeply rooted in Moroccan football culture and make it global.

I also wanted the track to be global in its sound while still preserving its roots. The lyrics are Moroccan, Arabic, English and French, the composer and producer is South Asian. This is exactly what my story is; bringing these three worlds together is what my story is, and it is what made me who I am today.

Now we're bringing this to the opening ceremony in Canada. When everything came together, it felt like a genuine fusion of cultures rather than something forced.

You've described 'Siir Siir' as more than just a song, why do you feel so?

I started singing in 2019 when I did my independent music, and my journey as a singer started off as something very small. And then gradually I improved my singing skills, I've practiced and I've experimented. And now, with 'Siir Siir', I feel like I've evolved as a singer and a performer, because it represents something larger.

When people talk about global music today, they often mention K-pop, Afrobeat or Latin music. Those genres have established a strong international presence. Artists from South Asia, North Africa and the Middle East are still working towards that level of visibility. I see 'Siir Siir' as part of that conversation. It's a celebration of different cultures coming together while also showing that artists from our regions belong on global stages.

You performed during the FIFA World Cup celebrations in 2022. What has changed most about you as an artist since then?

So much has changed. I have evolved; from my musical skills to my singing skills, to my performing skills, to my aesthetic, to my awareness. Even feeling like I have more creative control. On this project, I was allowed a lot of creative control over the way the music was put together: from the visuals to every detail of this project. I'm a way different artist than I was in 2022.

When you first arrived in India, did you already have a larger roadmap in mind for a career not defined by singular labels or industries? 

When I came to India, I never wanted to be just an actor, just a dancer or just a singer. I wanted to build a career as a multi-dimensional artist who could bring different things to the table. When you look at artists like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira or Beyoncé, they're able to move across different creative spaces. I always admired that. I felt there wasn't enough room for that kind of artistic identity in our industry because people were so focused on labels.

My vision was to work hard, build myself in India, earn the love and support of the South Asian community, and then use that platform to connect different markets. At the time, it felt like an almost impossible vision. But as I kept working towards it, things started becoming clearer. I met people along the way who helped open doors and move the journey forward.

After the World Cup in 2022, I felt closer to that goal than ever before. Since then, every project I've taken on, whether it's a song, a film or any other creative venture, has been approached with the intention of reaching a global audience.

You've spoken about an upcoming football-inspired EP. What can you tell us about it?

The EP is going to have about four to five songs, and they're all inspired by the culture of football. It has the vibe of celebration and positivity. It's also another example of how you're going to see my evolution as an artist and as a singer. It's not just any generic music that I'm putting out; it's music with intention, feelings and purpose.

What would you like your global audience to understand about you as an artist today?

I never want people to feel like I came from somewhere, found success, and then left to do my own thing. I want them to feel like they're coming along with me on this journey.

I also want to help open doors for artists coming out of South Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. We're entering a time when global music and cinema are becoming more receptive to voices from our regions, and I think there are going to be more opportunities than ever before.

For a long time, people who looked like us weren't visible on these mainstream international platforms. I want to contribute to changing that.

With work spanning cultures, industries, and continents, what remains a challenge yet to overcome?

Jet lag. It drives me insane.

But beyond that, I want the world to understand that India and South Asia are so talented, and that we have so much more than just Bollywood or Hindi music. We have so much going on, and I want the world to know that. I also want the world to give South Asian artists, even Moroccan artists, more opportunities because we are really talented. We haven't always been given the right platforms at the right moments. Everywhere I go, I want to create more spaces for us. 

After FIFA and your upcoming EP, do you have any particular collaborations or global opportunities you're hoping to pursue next?

I’m always looking ahead, so I'm always going to figure out some opportunity or another. I can’t reveal too much, but I know that this is going to be a major turning point in my career, for sure.

This is also a moment of being grateful and appreciating the fact that while I'm doing this, I know that South Asia and India are there rooting for me. They have my back, and that always feels special.