FIFA to stage separate World Cup opening ceremonies in Mexico, Canada and U.S.
Workers install the first layer of the pitch during a tour of the FIFA World Cup stadium at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, U.S., May 8, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
FIFA announced on Friday (May 8, 2026) that it will hold separate opening ceremonies before the first game in each of the three host countries for this year’s World Cup, which is being held in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The biggest World Cup in history kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City, where Grammy Award-winning Mexican pop band Mana will be performing as part of a lineup that also includes Alejandro Fernandez and Belinda, FIFA said in a post on X.
According to sources, Canadian singers Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble, Alessia Cara and Bangladeshi American Sanjoy, who is a Los Angeles-based DJ, will perform ahead of Canada’s opening group stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.
Later that day, American singer-songwriter Katy Perry will headline an opening ceremony ahead of the U.S. team’s match against Paraguay in Los Angeles, where Atlanta rap star Nayvadius Wilburn, better known as Future, will also perform, the sources said.
This year’s World Cup marks the second time the global soccer showcase is being co-hosted by multiple countries. The 2002 World Cup was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, with the former staging the opening ceremony. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Published – May 09, 2026 08:09 am IST
