Attempting to eclipse soul siren Diana Ross’s iconic, penalty-missing part in the opening ceremony for the last World Cup finals to be held in the US is some challenge, which might explain why the list of names is long for the 2026 edition.
On opening night in Mexico – co-hosts with the US and Canada – revered singer Alejandro Fernandez will ring out the Mexican national anthem, while Grammy Award winner Tyla will perform the South African equivalent.
Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek, who joins Fernandez in having the distinction of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and once portrayed beloved Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, is on ambassadorial duties, with huge-selling Colombian singers Ryan Castro and J Balvin putting on a performance.
Pop megastar Shakira is one of the headliners, performing the official World Cup 2026 song, Dai Dai, with colossally popular Nigerian singer Burna Boy, her collaborator on the record.
World Cup 2026 opening ceremony: What time does it start?
The opening ceremony in Mexico starts 90 minutes before kick-off in the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11.
Here’s when the Mexican opening ceremony and game start in different territories.
| Date | BST | ET | PT | |
| Opening ceremony | June 11 | 18:30 | 13:30 | 11:30 |
| Mexico vs South Africa | June 11 | 20:00 | 15:00 | 13:00 |
World Cup 2026 opening ceremony: Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble and more
The entertainment in Mexico is only the start of the star-saturated fanfare because there is a ceremony taking place before the first game for each of the three co-hosting countries.
Alanis Morissette, who was a year away from releasing pop classic Jagged Little Pill when the US took sole hosting duties in 1994, is singing the Canadian national anthem before her compatriots start their campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto on Friday, June 12.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s anthem will be the responsibility of Aleksandar Gajic, who is a Toronto-based violinist born in Serbia and a former member of the Belgrade Philharmonic, according to Bosnian outlet Crna Hronika.
Singer Michael Buble, who has had number one albums around the world, may be more familiar to Canadian, American and English audiences, joined by Canadian artists William Prince, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez and Nora Fatehi, Palestinian singer-songwriter Elyanna, French counterpart Vegedream and Bangladeshi-American DJ Sanjoy.
Actor, comedian and Liverpool fan Will Arnett is the Canadian ambassador. Here’s when the Canadian opening ceremony and game start in different territories.
| Date | BST | ET | PT | |
| Opening ceremony | June 12 | 18:30 | 13:30 | 11:30 |
| Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | June 12 | 20:00 | 15:00 | 13:00 |
World Cup 2026 USA: Katy Perry and Future star in opening ceremony
FIFA say fans will play an “active role” in the show in the US, where the third opening ceremony will take place before the USA meet Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, June 12.
Pop provocateur Katy Perry, whose appearance in the Super Bowl half-time show in 2015 included standing on top of a giant tiger, will take part alongside rapper and fellow American Future, Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta, Thai rapper LISA, Nigerian singer-songwriter and rapper Rema and Tyla.
Actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis – known for his role as an American coach on a crash course in English football in the show Ted Lasso – is the ambassador.
Country duo Dan + Shay will perform the American anthem. Paraguay’s anthem falls to Purahei Soul, duo Jennifer Hicks and Miguel Narvaez.
The pair met at a jazz seminar while studying for music degrees and now mix traditional and contemporary music, according to the Asuncion Times.
“Hello, family,” Hicks told fans in a broadcast from an airport on Wednesday. “We are just about to get on the plane.
“So much work bears fruit in moments like this. Join us – we are happy, excited, honoured and ready.”
Narvaez called the call-up an “adventure that is unique for us” and “an unparalleled opportunity”, adding: “See you there.”
Here are the timings for the opening ceremony in the US. Asterisk denotes ceremony and match starting on Saturday, June 13 in the UK.
| Date | BST | ET | PT | |
| Opening ceremony | June 12 | 00:30* | 19:30 | 16:30 |
| USA vs Paraguay | June 12 | 02:00* | 21:00 | 18:00 |
Where to watch the World Cup opening ceremony: TV channel, live online stream
In the UK, ITV is showing the opening ceremony and match from Mexico on ITV One and the ITVX app. The channel broadcast starts at 18:15 BST.
BBC Sport is showing the opening ceremonies from Canada and the USA on BBC One, the BBC iPlayer app and the BBC Sport website.
Those broadcasts start at 19:00 before the Canadian ceremony and 01:30 before the American ceremony, so full coverage of the performances is more likely to be on the app and online.
Fox Sports is the broadcaster for fans in the US, with Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo.
World Cup 2026 final show: When are Madonna, Shakira and more performing?
For the first time, a half-time show will take place during the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19.
English band and familiar American stadium fillers Coldplay have arranged the artists for the interval at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Madonna – no stranger to Super Bowl half-time shows – and K-pop boyband BTS will co-headline.
Madonna’s new album, Confessions On A Dance Floor: Part II, comes out in the same month, with Chelsea forwards Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro among the surprising stars to have featured in a promotional video for the record.
Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin announced the line-up alongside an exhilarated Elmo, of children’s TV show Sesame Street.
The World Cup final is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 BST, so here are the approximate times for the half-time show.
| Date | BST | ET | PT | |
| Half-time show | July 19 | 20:45 | 15:45 | 12:45 |
