The World Cup 2026 is kicking off tonight (Thursday, June 11) after years of planning and it all begins with the opening ceremony. However, this year's opening ceremony will come with a twist. The World Cup, which is being hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, will actually have three different opening ceremonies; one for each host nation to showcase their nation.
This is the first time such a setup will take place. This is the largest World Cup ever with 48 teams taking part. All group games will be shown on the BBC and ITV, with channels showing a mixture of games.
With Mexico set to kick things off tonight at 8pm (BST) against South Africa on ITV, they will be the first nation to put on a spectacular show, with the opening ceremony beginning at 6:30pm.
Mexico opening ceremony
Pop superstar Shakira and Nigerian Afrobeats artist Burna Boy are set to headline the opening ceremony, performing the official World Cup song Dai Dai. There will also be performances from Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, and Tyla.
The opening ceremony will take place at Mexico City Stadium, better known worldwide as the Estadio Azteca, before the first ball is kicked between Mexico and South Africa. There will be 13 matches across Mexico in total for the entire tournament.
Canada's opening ceremony
The opening ceremony for Canada will come next. They are set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina at 8pm tomorrow (Friday, June 12). The opening ceremony will again start at 6:30pm, with Canadian icon and superstar Michael Bublé headlining at BMO Field. The game will be shown on BBC.
He will also be joined by Alessia Cara and Alanis Morissette. Jessie Reyez, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy and William Prince are also on the bill to celebrate Canada's third-ever World Cup appearance.
USA opening ceremony
Wrapping up the opening ceremonies will be the USA, which will host the majority of the tournament's games. The USA's opening game sees them take on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The opening ceremony will start 12:30am on Saturday, June 13. Kickoff for the game is set for 2am. The game will be shown on the BBC.
The superstars will all be out, with Katy Perry headlining. She will be joined by Atlanta rapper Future. Tyla will return from Mexico to perform again, alongside global stars such as Nigerian artist Rema, Anitta, and LISA.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: "This opening ceremony in Los Angeles represents the extraordinary scale of what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will become. The lineup of artists reflects the cultural diversity of the United States and the vibrancy of its many diasporas, highlighting the nation's rich influence on music, entertainment and pop culture, while showcasing the power of music to bring people together across the country."
This will be the first time the USA has hosted a World Cup since 1994. It was at that World Cup when legendary singer Diana Ross hilariously missed her penalty in Chicago.
