Katy Perry represented the entire California Girls at the 2026 FIFA World Cup USA Opening Ceremony on Friday night (June 12) at Los Angeles Stadium (usually known as SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood, where she headlined alongside a global lineup of Lisa, Anitta, Tyra, Rema, Future, Dan + Shay, and Prahey Soul.
Future and Tyra kicked things off by performing their 2026 World Cup song “Game Time” 90 minutes before kickoff. Next, Lisa, Anitta and Rema performed another cut from the official World Cup album ‘Goals’. After a little over an hour’s break, Katy Perry, along with 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka, took to the field to perform their 2024 song “Wonder,” surrounded by the flags of this year’s World Cup nations. Finally, before the game started, Prahei Soul sang the Paraguayan national anthem, and country duo Dan + Shay performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The U.S. men’s national team played their first World Cup match against Paraguay, winning 4-1. America’s next game will be against Australia on June 19th.
The US opening ceremony was the last of three opening ceremonies for the 2026 World Cup. Shakira, Burna Boy, Mana, J Balvin, Belinda, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules and Tyra perform at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on Thursday ahead of Mexico’s season opener. Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, Jesse Reyes, Nora Fatehi, Elianna and William Prince perform at BMO Field in Toronto ahead of Canada’s season opener.
Tyra is the only artist to perform at multiple opening ceremonies (in the US and Mexico), and Shakira is also set to headline the halftime show at the 2026 World Cup finals, along with fellow superstars BTS and Madonna.
Below, find a rundown of all the musical moments that led up to Friday night’s game.
katy perry
Katy Perry performed with 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka for the live debut of her song “Wonder” from her 2024 album 143. Luka’s addition to the song reinforced the theme of remaining innocent as we grow older (“One day, when we get older/Will we still be open to wonder?”). This is the perfect message for the World Cup crowd of all ages.
Lisa, Anitta, Rema
Representing a truly global event, the trio of Thai K-Pop star LISA, Brazilian funk singer Anitta and Nigerian Afrobeats hitmaker Rema have come together for the 2026 World Cup collaboration ‘Goals’. LISA was first on the field and launched into the track’s cheeky lyrics: “My body (goals), my health (goals), my friends (goals), my whip (goals).” Anitta and Rema then joined the BLACKPINK stars, also wearing all-white outfits and surrounded by dancers, as they pumped up their energy for the first match against the United States.
Future & Tyra
The first performers of the night, Future and Tyra, performed their 2026 World Cup rendition of “Game Time.” The Atlanta rapper was the first to stand up and promised, “I’ll stay up late / 20 seconds left until game time,” before being joined by Tyra, who asked, “If you don’t want to win, how can I help you?”
Dan + Shay and Prahei Soul
Two national anthems were performed by two international duos. Prahey Soul (Jennifer Hicks Enciso and Miguel Narváez) sang Paraguay’s national anthem, and Dan + Shay (Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney) performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the United States. Dan + Shay’s crisp harmonies were the highlight of the national anthem, and their impeccable rendition included a cameo from Tom Cruise, who sat alongside soccer legend David Beckham and his Spice Girls. The event concluded with star wife Victoria Beckham and fireworks from the field.
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