Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé and Alessia Cara were among some of the Canadian artists who helped welcome the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Toronto with a live performance on Friday.
Cara kicked off the event with an elaborate performance featuring more than two dozen dancers who waved flags and hoisted up art pieces representing Canadian wildlife. The singer-songwriter performed “Wild Things” from her 2016 debut album Know-It-All, which also included her breakout single “Here.”
When Cara’s performance finished, the gold-outlined soccer ball structure she emerged from transformed into a globe as singer Nora Fatehi, DJ Sanjoy, and rapper Vegedream took the stage. The trio performed “Siir,” which appears on the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album. Elyanna and Jessie Reyez built on the moment with another single from the album, “Illuminate.”
Morissette led the shift into game mode with a rousing performance of the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada,” while Yugoslavia’s Aleksandar Gajić made an appearance to perform the Bosnian and Herzegovinan national anthem on violin. In an uplifting moment, Bublé took the stage with the Sole Power Choir to perform his rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me.”
The star-studded performance came ahead of team Canada facing off against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The opening ceremony in Toronto will be a powerful reflection of Canada’s identity and the energy surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “Through music, culture and unforgettable performances, we will welcome the world with a celebration that is uniquely Canadian while also connected to a larger story unfolding across Mexico and the United States. It will be a moment of pride, unity and anticipation as Canada takes its place on football’s biggest stage.”
Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, Lisa, and Rema will kick off the opening to the first World Cup game in the United States in Los Angeles later on Friday. At Thursday’s opening ceremony at the Estadio Ciudad de México (Estadio Azteca), Shakira and Burna Boy performed the 2026 World Cup’s official song “Dai Dai.”
And the biggest performance is yet to come. In a historic first, Shakira, Madonna, and BTS will headline the first-ever World Cup final halftime show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The event will also raise money for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
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