FIFA will hold distinct opening ceremonies for the World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the US
FIFA announced on Friday that it will conduct separate opening ceremonies before the first match in each of the three host countries for this year’s World Cup, taking place in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
The largest World Cup in history is set to begin on June 11 in Mexico City, featuring a performance by the Grammy Award-winning Mexican pop band Mana, alongside Alejandro Fernandez and Belinda, as announced by FIFA in a post on X.
The concert in Mexico City will showcase Mexican culture, featuring Indigenous and contemporary folkloric performers, according to FIFA.
Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, William Prince, and Bangladeshi American Sanjoy, a Los Angeles-based DJ, are set to perform before Canada’s opening group stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.
FIFA announced that a “mosaic-inspired reimagining of the FIFA World Cup Trophy will reflect Canada’s diversity and community” during the concert.
Later that day, American singer-songwriter Katy Perry will headline an opening ceremony before the U.S. team’s match against Paraguay in Los Angeles, where Atlanta rap star Nayvadius Wilburn, known as Future, will also perform. The lineup features Anitta, LISA, Rema, and Tyla.
The U.S. concert aims to provide a vibrant spectacle that embodies the scale, ambition, and cultural significance of the tournament, according to FIFA.
This year’s World Cup marks the second time that several nations are co-hosting the global soccer showcase. The 2002 World Cup was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, with South Korea hosting the opening ceremony.
