FIFA revealed Friday its plans to conduct individual opening ceremonies in each of the three nations hosting the upcoming World Cup, marking an unprecedented approach for the international soccer tournament spanning Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
The historic tournament begins June 11 in Mexico City, featuring Grammy-winning Mexican pop group Mana alongside performers Alejandro Fernandez and Belinda, according to FIFA’s announcement on social media platform X.
Sources indicate that Toronto will host its ceremony on June 12 before Canada faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in group stage play, with Canadian artists Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble, and Alessia Cara taking the stage, joined by Los Angeles-based DJ Sanjoy, who is of Bangladeshi American heritage.
That same day in Los Angeles, pop superstar Katy Perry will anchor the U.S. opening ceremony before the American squad takes on Paraguay, with Atlanta rapper Future (Nayvadius Wilburn) also slated to perform, according to sources.
The 2026 tournament represents only the second instance of multiple nations jointly hosting the World Cup. The previous co-hosted event occurred in 2002 when South Korea and Japan shared hosting duties, though South Korea handled the sole opening ceremony at that time.
