Following vibrant celebrations in Mexico and Canada, the United States has taken the baton to launch its segment of the 2026 World Cup. The grand opening ceremony took place at the SoFi Stadium ahead of the American national team’s opening fixture against Paraguay.
The massive sporting arena, which boasts a capacity of up to 70,200 spectators, is no stranger to global superstars. It has previously hosted mammoth concerts for artists such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and K-pop sensations like BTS, Stray Kids and Twice.
The ceremony, which began at 04:30 (GMT+5), matched this pedigree with a lineup of international musical heavyweights. The festivities kicked off with high-energy performances by singer Tyla and American rapper Future.
The global flavour of the event continued as Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink took to the stage alongside Brazilian star Anitta and Nigerian rapper Rema. Following these colourful performances, the football players emerged onto the pitch to conduct their pre-match warm-ups in front of an ecstatic crowd.
Right before the starting whistle, the event’s headline act, American pop icon Katy Perry, delivered a show-stopping performance. She was joined by Norwegian artist Tius Luka Sandberg to perform the track Wonder.
Historic debut for Uzbekistan
The ceremony also featured a parade of flags representing all the participating nations. In a deeply proud moment for Central Asian football fans, the flag of Uzbekistan was carried into the arena to massive applause.
This tournament marks a historic milestone for the Uzbekistan national team as it is their very first appearance at a World Cup finals. They face a challenging group stage where they are scheduled to play against Portugal, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Electric atmosphere and legacy
The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric. Broadcast cameras captured passionate American fans joyously chanting «USA, USA» while the travelling supporters from Paraguay maintained a more reserved but equally proud presence.
This is not the first time the United States has hosted football’s most prestigious tournament. The nation previously welcomed the world in 1994, an event that concluded with Brazil defeating Italy to lift the trophy.
However, the 2026 edition operates on an entirely unprecedented scale. For the first time in history, the competition is being co-hosted by three separate nations, the US, Canada and Mexico, and features a massively expanded roster of 48 teams rather than the traditional 32.
