The historic 48-nation 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest edition of the global football tournament in history, officially entered its North American co-host phase on Friday, as Canada stepped into the international spotlight with a vibrant, diversity-focused opening ceremony in Toronto ahead of its opening group stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A day earlier, the tournament kicked off in Mexico City with its own star-studded opening ceremony featuring global superstars Shakira and Nigerian Afrobeats icon Burna Boy. Later Friday, the United States will play its first match of the tournament in Los Angeles, with a pre-game performance lineup headlined by pop star Katy Perry and Atlanta rapper Future, plus additional sets from Brazilian hitmaker Anitta, South African Grammy winner Tyla, and Blackpink alumna LISA.
The 2026 World Cup marks the first time the tournament has been split across three host nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The expanded format, which grew from 32 to 48 competing teams, has already cemented its status as the most expansive World Cup ever staged.
For Canadian football fans, Friday’s opening match in Toronto represented a long-awaited milestone in the country’s sporting history. Thousands of supporters flooded the streets and stadium stands, turning the area around Toronto Stadium into a sea of Canadian red, with fans breaking into an impromptu, heartfelt performance of *O Canada* as they entered the venue. Two local fans, Peter Giacobbe and Robert McIntosh, planned to attend all three of Canada’s group stage matches across the country’s two host cities, Toronto and Vancouver. “We’ve very excited. This is a long time coming,” Giacobbe told reporters, with McIntosh adding, “We woke up this morning realising that this is making Canadian history together.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina fans brought just as much enthusiasm to the match, marking the team’s first World Cup appearance since 2014. Hundreds of supporters marched to the stadium separately from Canadian fans, with some traveling all the way from the Balkans to cheer on their team, while others with dual roots embraced the unique moment of competing in North America. Layla Mesic, a Bosnian-Canadian who attended the game with her Canadian mother (who wore a Canada jersey), proudly wore Bosnia’s iconic yellow and blue kit. “To even qualify to the World Cup, it’s a big point of pride for us,” Mesic said. “Today I’m 100% Bosnian. It might have cost an arm and a leg, but I’m here, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Canada’s opening ceremony lineup leaned heavily into homegrown talent and the country’s commitment to cultural diversity, as highlighted by organizers. Iconic Canadian artists Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé headlined the event: Morissette delivered a powerful, crowd-pleasing performance of the Canadian national anthem, while Bublé joined a local choir to lead fans in a rousing rendition of Sam Cooke’s *Bring It on Home to Me*. Additional performers included Grammy-winning singer Alessia Cara, Palestinian singer-songwriter Elyanna, Toronto-born artists Jessie Reyez and Nora Fatehi, and William Prince, an acclaimed Indigenous artist from Manitoba. Organizers noted the curated lineup was intentionally designed to reflect Canada’s diverse communities and rich cultural tapestry. Before kickoff, the stadium announcer invited the entire crowd to join in a round of applause for peace, a quiet moment of unity ahead of the match.
For fans unable to secure the high-priced match tickets, Toronto offered a free alternative fan zone located just across the street from the stadium, open to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Many local fans gathered there to watch the ceremony and match, embracing the energetic atmosphere even with heavier-than-usual traffic disruptions across the city. “Getting tickets for the actual game wasn’t even a consideration for us because of the high cost,” said Torontonian Angela Aco, who attended the fan zone to cheer on Canada. “It’s great to see people from all over the place. We just roll with the punches,” she added, noting that Michael Bublé’s performance was her favorite part of the opening ceremony.
Notably, top political leaders from all three host nations are skipping their respective countries’ opening matches. U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend the Los Angeles match, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio attending in his place. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is currently on a working trip to France ahead of next week’s G7 summit, where he is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also skipped her country’s opening match on Thursday, announcing she was staying away in protest of the tournament’s exorbitant ticket prices.
Looking ahead to the end of the tournament, FIFA has planned a historic first for the World Cup: a Super Bowl-style halftime show during the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the first of its kind in the tournament’s nearly 100-year history. The closing ceremony and halftime show will feature an all-star lineup headlined by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Madonna, and Shakira, capping off the month-long global sporting event.