The 2026 FIFA World Cup was already going to be massive.
Now FIFA is turning it into a full-blown global concert.
Katy Perry is set to headline the United States opening ceremony for the 2026 World Cup at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles before the U.S. plays Paraguay, with artists including Future, LISA, Tyla, Anitta and Rema also expected to perform.
And honestly, this feels exactly like what FIFA wants this tournament to become.
This is not just a soccer tournament anymore. This is going to feel like the Olympics, Super Bowl and Coachella all smashed together into one month-long event. FIFA clearly understands that the 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, is the biggest opportunity the sport has ever had in North America.
The scale of this tournament is already unprecedented. It will be the largest World Cup ever with 48 teams, matches spread across massive stadiums and millions of fans expected to travel across North America.
Now add one of the biggest pop stars in the world opening the tournament in front of a global audience.
You can already imagine the scenes. Packed stadium. Fireworks everywhere. Celebrities all over the crowd. National teams walking out with millions watching around the world. Then suddenly the World Cup actually starts.
And this is only the beginning.
Mexico and Canada are also getting their own opening ceremonies with huge artists involved, showing how seriously FIFA is taking the entertainment side of this tournament.
Whether soccer purists like it or not, the 2026 World Cup is being built to dominate global culture, not just sports.
And with stars like Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Neymar, Haaland and Bellingham expected to headline the tournament itself, FIFA is clearly trying to make this the most watched and most talked-about World Cup ever.
