World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremonies Live Updates: US, Canada Ceremonies to Feature LISA, Katy Perry
Mexico kicked off the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a bang on Thursday, June 11.
As the first of the three host countries to play in the global tournament, Mexico welcomed soccer, or football, fans around the world to Estadio Azteca in Mexico City with a colorful opening ceremony.
Lila Downs took the pitch first in a performance that celebrated Aztec culture as a giant golden trophy stood behind her and a group of dancers. Next up was Belinda and Los Ángeles Azules, who partnered for their song “Por Ella (FIFA World Cup 2026).”
Pop-rock band Maná transported the audience back to ’90s with their track “Oye Mi Amor” and J Balvin performed a medley of hits with Ryan Castro. Danny Ocean sang his song “Partidazo” alongside dancers from the Ballet Folklórico de México, too.
To conclude the festivities, Shakira and Burna Boy delivered the first performance of their song “Dai Dai,” the official FIFA World Cup 2026 song. “Dale, allez, let’s go!” the two sang together while nailing some impressive dance moves.
Tyla and Alejandro Fernández then sang the national anthem for their respective countries, South Africa and Mexico, and Andrea Bocelli and EJAE joined in on the fun with their official FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem called “DNA.”
Just before the match between South Africa and Mexico began, Salma Hayek Pinault also took the pitch to introduce the procession of flags from all 48 countries participating in the global tournament.
When the match finally began, Mexico took an early 1-0 lead over South Africa just 10 minutes in. The host country held onto the lead the entire game, extending it to a final score of 2-0.
