With a slight delay, Los Angeles hosted the third and final opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup.
Previously, Mexico City, on Thursday, and Toronto, on Friday afternoon, had their World Cup parties in three countries.
The first part of the quick ceremony, lasting about 15 minutes, took place before the United States’ opening match against Paraguay.
Brazilian Anitta had a very short participation, sharing the stadium lawn with singers Lisa and Rema. Katy Perry, another awaited attraction, was reserved for the second part of the ceremony.
In the land of cinema, the broadcast opened with the image of the Hollywood sign. And like the other openings, a giant World Cup cup occupied the center of the field. The event began with the sound of drums, with marching bands in the best tradition of high school marching bands.
Rapper Future and the South African singer jumped into action to sing the song “Game Time”.
Like what happened earlier, at the Canadian ceremony, the stadium was not full when Thai Lisa (from the K-pop group Blackpink), Brazilian Anitta and Nigerian Rema came together on the improvised stage to perform the danceable “Goals”.
Despite the trio’s efforts, people still sought their seats in the stadium when the song ended. Not all of Lisa and Anitta’s charisma was enough to overcome the Mexican party, with Shakira and a clearly more excited and interested audience.
The Los Angeles Stadium will host a total of eight matches, including Iran’s debut, this Monday (15), against New Zealand.
With its superscreen, the arena is one of the most modern in the USA. Home of the Los Angeles Rams, it was the venue for the 2022 Super Bowl (won by the Rams) and will again host the NFL final in the next edition, in 2027.
