What happened, and who performed at the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony?

Musical performances, colour, and instrumentality excitement precede the World Cup’s opening crippled successful Mexico City.

A star-studded performance, headlined by singers Shakira and Burna Boy, and a gigantic World Cup trophy officially inaugurated the tourney astatine the Azteca Stadium successful Mexico City.

The iconic World Cup venue was a oversea of acheronian greenish and yellowish jerseys, arsenic fans eagerly awaited the tourney opener betwixt hosts Mexico and South Africa connected Thursday.

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It was a throwback to the 2010 World Cup, erstwhile Colombian prima Shakira performed her viral opus Waka Waka – which yet became a planetary shot anthem – up of the lucifer betwixt then-hosts South Africa and Mexico. Only this time, Shakira performed the World Cup anthem Dai Dai, alongside Nigerian prima Burna Boy.

The ceremonial celebrated Aztec civilization and saw the transportation filled with performers successful colourful costumes earlier Mexican singer-songwriter Lila Downs welcomed the satellite successful Spanish and English.

“People of the world, invited to Mexico!” she said to the assemblage filled with fans successful Mariachi costumes and acheronian greenish jerseys supporting Mexico, which past hosted the World Cup successful 1986. Two ample screens astatine other ends of the stadium aired footage from the tourney 40 years ago.

Artists execute during the opening ceremonial [Rodrigo Oropeza/AFP]

Azteca comes to life

The iconic Estadio Azteca already has a peculiar spot successful shot past aft hosting 2 World Cup finals successful 1970 and 1986, truthful it was a fitting prime to inaugurate the weeks-long tournament.

Venezuelan vocalist Danny Ocean sang Partidazo, alongside performers successful accepted Mexican dress. He was followed by Mexican popular stars Belinda and Los Angeles Azules, who created a taste mashup successful their opus Por Ella arsenic portion of the World Cup album.

It was a ceremonial for each generations, arsenic Mexican pop-rock set Mana besides had the assemblage singing on to their 1992 deed Oye Mi Amor.

Colombian vocalist J Balvin and rapper Ryan Castro teamed up to execute a medley of their hits, including their duet Una A La Vez, pumping up the crowd. Balvin wrapped up his show by singing I Like It, his deed opus with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.

Colombian vocalist J Balvin performs portion surrounded by dancers successful colourful outfits [Natacha Pisarenko/AP]

Shakira steals the show

The assemblage roared arsenic Shakira appeared connected the transportation and took the mic. She immaculately executed the choreography of Dai Dai with her dancers earlier being joined by Burna Boy. The duo ended the opus with “Dale, allez, let’s go!”

The performances gave mode to the much authoritative instauration of the tournament. World Cup Ambassador Salma Hayek Pinault took to the transportation to invited fans from astir the world.

“In this stadium, on with Canada and the United States, we invited the 48 flags,” she said successful Spanish. “Us Mexicans are precise honoured to beryllium here, wherever the World Cup begins.”

Her invited was followed by a procession of flags from the 48 countries competing astatine the tournament.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and vocalist EJAE past performed DNA, the authoritative FIFA World Cup anthem for 2026.

It was followed by South African creator Tyla singing the nationalist anthem arsenic the nationalist team’s players and fans successful the assemblage sang along, placing their hands implicit their hearts.

Grammy victor Alejandro Fernandez, who has been a staple of the Mexican euphony country for 3 decades, rounded retired the ceremonial with the Mexican nationalist anthem.

Clouds of reddish and greenish fume burst into the aerial to awesome the commencement of the tournament.

Italian vocalist Andrea Bocelli and South Korean-American vocalist and songwriter Ejae execute [Rodrigo Oropeza/AFP]

Chaos astatine instrumentality zones crossed Mexico City

Access to the instrumentality portion successful Zocalo Plaza was hampered by metallic barriers, erected successful caller days to forestall protesting teachers from reaching the area. Thousands of striking teachers person escalated nationwide protests successful Mexico City and different regions, demanding higher basal salaries and the reversal of pension laws.

Protesters person blocked large postulation routes starring to Estadio Azteca and the Zocalo, and person toppled and acceptable occurrence to ample World Cup-themed mannequins, promising to disrupt the planetary tournament.

“Stop pushing and shoving, determination are children here; You’re similar animals!” a metropolis authoritative shouted done a megaphone arsenic helium tried to power entree to the venue wherever the opening crippled was to beryllium shown connected a elephantine screen.

Some fans threw h2o bottles and hurled insults astatine police, arsenic good arsenic chanting successful enactment of the Mexican team.

“It’s crazy,” said Javier Maciel, a 25-year-old fan. “There could person been amended organisation.”

The section authorities announced connected societal media that the tract was “full” and suggested fans spell to different plazas.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had been expected to ticker the crippled astatine the instrumentality zone, but formed uncertainty connected her beingness aft days of teacher demonstrations.

Demonstrators execute during a protestation march, anterior to the opening time [Ginnette Riquelme/AP]