The 2026 FIFA World Cup has finally arrived on American soil, and the tournament wasted no time delivering both on-field drama and off-field spectacle.
The opening ceremony in the United States featured performances by Katy Perry, LISA, and Brazilian superstar Anitta, who turned heads at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The host nation then took center stage for its Group D opener against Paraguay on Friday evening. In Toronto, co-host Canada secured a hard-fought draw against Bosnia, with Cyle Larin finding the net in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
Saturday’s schedule ramps up the stakes considerably: Brazil, the most decorated team in World Cup history with five titles, debuts against Morocco — widely considered the toughest opponent in their group. Brazilian media and fans are buzzing with the tantalising possibility of winning a sixth crown on American soil, echoing their 1994 triumph in the same country when they beat Italy on penalties.
Behind the scenes, FIFA made a late referee substitution for the Ecuador vs. Ivory Coast match, while a Swedish striker went viral for breaking into Brazilian funk dancing during a training session — a sign of the tournament’s increasingly global cultural flavour.
The World Cup even reached late-night American television. Chilean commentator Luis Omar Tapia appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where he taught the host his legendary goal call. “It’s all in the breathing,” Tapia explained. “The normal person breathes into the lungs. But now you have to do it into the stomach.” Fallon, predictably, couldn’t keep up.
Meanwhile, a brief backstage interaction between singer Belinda and actress Salma Hayek at the Mexico City inauguration ceremony went viral when some viewers interpreted Hayek’s turning away mid-farewell as a snub — though subsequent footage showed the two embracing warmly moments later.
