KUALA LUMPUR – FIFA has confirmed it will host separate opening ceremonies in each of the three countries co-hosting this year’s 2026 FIFA World Cup: Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The expanded tournament, the largest in World Cup history, will begin on June 11 in Mexico City. Mexican Grammy Award-winning band Maná will headline the opening concert, joined by Alejandro Fernández and Belinda, FIFA announced in a post on X today.
FIFA said the Mexico City ceremony will showcase Mexican culture, with performances from Indigenous acts alongside modern folkloric presentations.
In Canada, the opening ceremony is scheduled for June 12 in Toronto, preceding the hosts’ group-stage clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The entertainment line-up includes Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, William Prince and Bangladeshi-American DJ Sanjoy.
“The Canadian event will also feature a mosaic-inspired reinterpretation of the FIFA World Cup trophy, designed to reflect the country’s cultural diversity and sense of community,” FIFA said.
Later on June 12 in the United States, an opening ceremony will take place in Los Angeles before the national team’s match against Paraguay. American singer Katy Perry will headline, with performances from rapper Future (Nayvadius Wilburn), as well as Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla.
FIFA described the US ceremony as a high-energy spectacle, “reflecting the scale, ambition and cultural influence of the tournament.”
This will be only the second time in World Cup history that the competition is jointly hosted by multiple nations. The first co-hosted tournament took place in 2002, staged by South Korea and Japan, with the opening ceremony held in South Korea. – May 10, 2026