Shakira and Burna Boy headline World Cup 2026 opening ceremony as Mexico face South Africa

The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially begins on Thursday at Mexico City Stadium, where co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in a Group A opener that doubles as the tournament’s centrepiece ceremony — the first edition to feature 64 teams across 104 matches.

The opening ceremony is scheduled 90 minutes before the 6:30pm UK kick-off, with Colombian pop icon Shakira and Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy headlining a performance of the official tournament anthem, Dai Dai. Mexican-born actress and World Cup ambassador Salma Hayek will also appear, joined on the pitch by musicians Ryan Castro and J Balvin.

The choice of Mexico City Stadium carries significant historical weight. The ground served as the flagship venue when Mexico hosted both the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, staging the finals of each — won by Brazil and Argentina respectively. It will host five matches in this year’s tournament, including a Round of 16 tie, and is the regular home of Liga MX club Club América.

The opening-day ceremony is the first of three planned across the tournament’s early schedule. Canada’s Group A match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 12 June will be preceded by a homegrown show featuring Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, and Alanis Morissette. Attention then shifts to Los Angeles on 13 June, where the United States face Paraguay in a ceremony headlined by Katy Perry and rapper Future alongside a roster of international acts.

The expanded 64-team format marks a historic departure from the 32-team structure that has defined the World Cup since 1998, with North America’s three co-hosts — Mexico, the United States, and Canada — each staging their own opening spectacle to reflect the tournament’s unprecedented continental spread.