Next came LISA, Rema, and Anitta, who presented “Goals,” a song created specifically for the World Cup and received enthusiastically by the audience present.
After a brief pause to allow the teams from the United States and Paraguay to complete their pre-match preparations, the show resumed with one of the most emotional moments of the night: the parade of flags from all participating nations.
The opening show in Los Angeles
The emotional closing with “Wonder”
With the flags surrounding the playing field, Katy Perry returned to the center of the stage accompanied by Tius Luka Sundberg, the young Norwegian singer who is just 10 years old and became one of the revelations of the day.
Together they performed “Wonder,” an emotional song that capped off the opening ceremony.
Unlike other large-scale shows, Perry opted for a more subdued presentation. There were no grand sets or dance troupes accompanying her performance. The focus was on the music and the vocal power of both artists.
The 2026 World Cup officially kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where music played a central role. Among all the artists gathered for the occasion, the star of the night was Katy Perry, who was chosen to lead one of the most anticipated moments of the event.
The American singer, whose real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, performed before thousands of spectators present in the stadium and millions of people who followed the broadcast around the world. Alongside her, notable international artists such as Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema, and Tyla contributed different musical styles to a ceremony marked by cultural diversity.
Hours before the show, Perry had already begun to generate excitement among her followers by sharing images of the rehearsals on her social media.
Katy Perry at the 2026 World Cup presentation
For the occasion, she chose a silver dress with a futuristic inspiration that quickly became one of the most talked-about topics of the night. The design combined a fitted bodice with transparencies and shiny applications that reflected the stadium lights.
The piece was completed with an imposing skirt made with hundreds of metallic silver fringes that fell to the ground and formed an extensive train. The artist complemented the look with high-heeled sandals, loose hair, and subtle makeup that allowed all the attention to focus on the striking design.
Katy Perry invited a young singer to join her in the show
A celebration inspired by the 250 years of the United States
The ceremony's thematic focus was the 250 years of independence of the United States, which is why the staging aimed to represent the cultural diversity that characterizes the host country.
After a countdown that energized the audience, a huge blue flag was unfurled over part of the playing field. Then came a performance with dozens of dancers and percussionists who combined rhythms and artistic expressions linked to different communities that are part of the American identity.
The proposal sought to reflect the multicultural nature of a World Cup that, for the first time in history, is being held in three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The proposal was inspired by the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States
The first major musical number was performed by rapper Future and South African singer Tyla, who performed the song “Game Time,” specially chosen to accompany the start of the tournament.
