The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first to be held in three different countries, which puts it on the schedule three opening ceremoniesone in each host country: Mexico, Canada and the United States. The first match will be held in Mexico this Thursday (11), but, starting at 9:45 pm this Wednesday (10), Several artists perform in a special countdown show for the tournament.
The presentations leading up to the World Cup take place at the same time in Los Angeles, Toronto and Mexico City, with local and international attractions.
- United States: Major Lazer, Davido, Ava Max and Bia.
- Mexico: Maestro Andrea Bocelli, Elena Rose, Belinda and the group Los Ángeles Azules.
The event will be broadcast live via FIFA’s TikTok.
On Thursday (11), the competition actually starts on the pitch, with the ball rolling in Mexico, and on Friday (12) in the USA and Canada. The first country match will have the host team taking the field, of course, playing at home.
Opening ceremonies and games
Mexico
The first official game of the 2026 World Cup will be on Thursday (11), between Mexico and South Africa, starting at 4pm (Brasília time), at the Azteca Stadium, in the Mexican capital. The opening ceremony will begin 90 minutes before kickoff, at 2:30 pm (Brasília time), with eight performances:
- J Balvin
- Manna
- Alejandro Fernandez
- Belinda
- Danny Ocean
- Lila Downs
- The Blue Angels
- Silence
The event will be broadcast on TV Globo, GeTV, SporTV, N Sports, CazéTV and SBT.
Canada
The Canadians will also have an opening ceremony to call their own before the Canadian team’s World Cup debut. The hosts play their first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Toronto, starting at 4pm (Brasília time) on Friday (12). The pre-match presentations start at 2:30 pm (Brasília time), at the BMO Field stadium, with nine musical acts:
- Alanis Morissette
- Alessia Cara
- Elyanna
- Jessie Reyez
- Michael Bublé
- Nora Fatehi
- Sanjoy
- Vegedream
- William Prince
The live broadcast will be exclusive to CazéTV in Brazil.
USA
The third and final opening ceremony of the World Cup will take place in Los Angeles, in the United States, before the USA’s opening match, which faces Paraguay. The game is scheduled for 10pm (Brasília time) on Friday (12). The shows start a little earlier, at 8:30 pm (Brasília time), with a Brazilian presence on stage. The singer Anita will represent Brazil singing at the opening of the United States, at SoFi Stadium. In addition, the event features five other musical attractions:
- Katy Perry
- Future
- LISA
- Rema
- Silence
The live broadcast of the event will be carried out by TV Globo, GeTV, SporTV, N Sports, CazéTV and SBT.
