The celebration begins, as the 2026 World Cup opens with a dazzling ceremony

The World Cup has officially begun. The eyes of the world are on Mexico City, where the festive opening ceremony of the biggest football event in history, the 2026 World Cup, was held this evening (Thursday).

For the first time in World Cup history, there are three host countries, Mexico, the United States and Canada, and each is staging its own opening ceremony. So if you missed today’s first celebration, led by Shakira, there is no need to panic. The 2026 World Cup festivities on ynet Sports

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Mexico, which is hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1986, is opening the tournament at Azteca Stadium. After Waka Waka (It’s Time for Africa), the official song of the 2010 World Cup with which the Colombian star achieved enormous success, she is also performing tonight with the current tournament’s theme song, Dai Dai, together with Nigerian rapper Burna Boy. The collaboration has already received hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. The Colombian singer is also expected to appear as one of the main stars in the halftime show of the World Cup final, together with BTS and Madonna.

6 View gallery Everything is ready. Mexico fans in the stadium (Photo: Oz Mualem)

6 View gallery Hungry for the opening whistle (Photo: Oz Mualem)

Mexico fans (Photo: Oz Mualem)

Also performing are Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández with the song Mi Mexico Lindo, pop star Belinda and Los Ángeles Azules with the song Por Ella, Venezuelan singer and producer Danny Ocean with Partidazo, and South African afrobeats star Tyla with Game Time. Joining them on stage tonight are Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin, Colombian singer Ryan Castro, Mexican singer Lila Downs and the rock band Maná, also from Mexico.

When the ceremony ends, the Mexico and South Africa national teams will take to the field for the tournament opener in Group A. Fernández will sing the home national anthem, and Tyla will sing South Africa’s anthem. But with all due respect to Shakira, even before the opening ceremony began, the speakers at the Azteca were already blasting We Will Rock You, because there is no great sporting celebration without Freddie Mercury. The voice of the Queen legend continues to accompany every possible sporting event on Earth, and given the tradition, it would not be surprising if he also pays another visit in the final.

Friday at 10:00 p.m., Canada’s turn

On Friday at 10:00 p.m. Israel time, Canada will have its turn, as it hosts the World Cup for the first time. At BMO Stadium in Toronto, before the Canadian team’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the great Alanis Morissette, one of the most important singers to come out of the country, will perform, alongside Michael Bublé, the Canadian pop idol who has become a household name around the world thanks to his honeyed songs.

6 View gallery Shakira will heat up New Mexico. The Azteca (Mario VAZQUEZ / AFP)

6 View gallery Dreaming big. Mexico fans outside the stadium (Photo: Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP)

The song Illuminate, from FIFA’s World Cup album, will be performed by Grammy winner Eliana, in collaboration with Canadian singer Jessie Reyez. The song’s video opens with clips from Diego Maradona’s victory with Argentina at the 1986 World Cup. It also includes footage of Paolo Rossi of Italy, Carlos Alberto of Brazil and other great players. In addition, Canadian-Indian singer Fathi, DJ Sanjoy and French singer Vegedream are featured on the song Siir Siir, alongside songs by Canadian folk singer William Prince and fellow Canadian Alessia Cara. Morissette will perform the Canadian anthem, and Alexander Gajic the Bosnian anthem.

The future is already here, Future and Katy Perry will lead the Americans

Later that night, at 1:30 a.m. Israel time, the baton will pass to the United States, ahead of the match against Paraguay, which will kick off at 4:00. The United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994, when the opening ceremony was held at Soldier Field in Chicago starring singer Diana Ross. This time, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the main stars will be Katy Perry and rapper Future, who will also perform at this ceremony together with Tyla on the song Game Time. Brazilian singer Anitta, Thai star Lisa and Nigerian singer Rema will perform Goals, the opening song of FIFA’s World Cup album, and the American duo Dan + Shay will perform the U.S. anthem. The Paraguayan anthem will be performed by the group Parahei Sol.

Worth every dollar, this is how much a ticket for the opening match costs

How seriously are the Mexicans taking this? President Claudia Sheinbaum declared a holiday in the capital, sent federal workers home, recommended that private workplaces also release their employees, and canceled classes in all educational institutions, from kindergartens to universities, so that no one would, heaven forbid, be distracted by studies instead of the truly important historical material, Mexico’s match against South Africa.

6 View gallery The Mexicans are already on their way (Photo: Mario Vazquez / AFP)

6 View gallery A ticket, 2,300 dollars (Photo: LUIS CORTES / AFP)

Prices are already sky-high. Mexican fan Jose Mejias paid no less than 2,300 dollars for a ticket to the opening match. He came here from the United States with his wife and children, and in total bought five tickets for the tournament. “Worth every dollar,” he says in Plaza El Angel de la Independencia, where a gilded statue of the Greek goddess Nike stands, the place where Mexicans usually celebrate victories, championships and any other good reason to feel a little national pride.

Meanwhile, while FIFA is selling hospitality packages for hundreds and thousands of dollars, homeowners around the Azteca have offered a much more basic product. “Toilet, 100 pesos,” read the signs hung on fences. Even at the World Cup, it turns out, there is under-the-table business.

Alongside the celebrations, the major cloud hanging over Mexico City is the teachers’ protest. Thousands of teachers from the CNTE organization are demonstrating in the city center, demanding pay raises and changes to the pension system. In recent weeks, the tents they set up have become a permanent sight in the capital’s center. Over time, other protest groups have joined them, seeking to use the world’s attention to advance their own causes, such as farmers’ organizations and animal rights groups.

In light of the expected protests, reports in Mexico have grown that the president is considering skipping the opening ceremony, but as of yesterday the government issued a much firmer message, promising to strictly enforce any attempt at violence or disruption of the festivities. The assessment is therefore that Sheinbaum will be there. Police are deployed across the city, including undercover units, and yesterday security was increased around the huge fan zone in the Zócalo, where tens of thousands of fans are expected to gather in front of giant screens. Metal barriers have been set up around the area, and access has been further restricted.