The first 2026 World Cup match played on U.S. soil began in unexpected fashion Friday night, when Katy Perry delivered a subdued pregame performance just before kickoff in Los Angeles.
More than 70,000 fans filled SoFi Stadium for the USMNT’s opener, with many anticipating an upbeat set from the singer behind hits including “California Gurls.”
Instead, Perry performed only one song: “Wonder,” a lesser-known track from an album released two years ago.
Rather than launching into crowd-pleasers such as “I Kissed a Girl” or “Firework,” the pop star appeared on stage roughly 10 minutes before the match, sang the single ballad and exited soon after, leaving some fans disappointed.
Perry was joined by 10-year-old Tius Luka, whose performance drew praise from viewers watching at home for his standout vocals.
The young Norwegian singer has built a following in recent months through viral covers of classic songs, and for many, he emerged as the most memorable part of the brief pregame show.
On X, though, fans rounded on Perry, with one noting: ‘What a train wreck of a performance. She sounded terrible.’
Another added ‘hilarious dress’, with some joking she was returning to her astronaut days by dressing up like a spaceship.
One fan wrote: ‘This sucks’, and another claimed: ‘Get this s*** out of here.’
Gates had opened at 2pm EST in Inglewood, and fans lined up for hours to take their spot inside the arena, which is usually home to the NFL’s Rams and Chargers.
The SoFi opening ceremony was the third of three at the World Cup, after each host country put on a show immediately before its first game.
Friday night’s Mexico game at the Azteca saw J Balvin make headlines, before Michael Buble led the way in Toronto before Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and his glamorous girlfriend Marissa Ayers arrive
In LA, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla had earlier performed during part one of the pregame show, which began around 90 minutes before the match.
The first performance then ended and the stage was dismantled, leading to a social media meltdown with fans concerned that Katy Perry had pulled out of the show at late notice.
But she did eventually take to the stage after the players had warmed up, finally performing around 10 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time.
The last World Cup opening ceremony in America, back in 1994, went down in history for a series of infamous moments, including Diana Ross’ penalty miss and president Bill Clinton’s attendance.
On Friday night, though, there were no gaffes and certainly no president Trump in the building… just a simple ballad from Katy Perry and her young companion.
When Katy Perry was announced as the opening ceremony headliner ahead of the tournament, the decision raised eyebrows – in part due to the nationality of her politician boyfriend Justin Trudeau.
Perry and Canadian Trudeau – the former prime minister of his country – were first linked back in July 2025 after being spotted walking together in a park in Montreal.
Their romance has since gone from strength to strength, and they were spotted embracing on the singer’s yacht in Santa Barbara in early October.
They officially confirmed their relationship in December by sharing photos together on the politician’s visit to Japan, with one fan referring to the post as the ‘craziest hard launch in the history of the free world.’
American soccer fans in cowboy hats await the start of the opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium
The 70,000-seater SoFi Stadium is more used to hosting the NFL’s Rams and Chargers
Fans lined up outside from early afternoon, gaining access four hours before the game began
Friday night’s World Cup game at SoFi, meanwhile, was the fourth of the tournament, after some blockbuster openers north and south of the border.
Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the first game of the tournament in Mexico City, before South Korea came from behind to down Czechia 2-1 in Guadalajara.
Earlier on Friday, Canada snatched a 1-1 draw against Bosnia in Toronto, before attention turned to LA for the USMNT’s highly-anticipated group match against Paraguay.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team are narrow favorites to win the Group D opening game, before moving on to face Australia and Turkey.
