Toronto welcomed the start of the World Cup on Friday with a lively opening ceremony, as Michael Bublé took center stage and Alanis Morissette delivered a stirring performance of O Canada before a packed crowd.
The city had been buzzing for hours before kickoff. Thousands of supporters filled downtown streets earlier in the day and made their way toward the stadium, creating a festival-like atmosphere as anticipation built for the first of six tournament matches set to be played in Toronto.
On the field, the pre-match celebrations began with a ceremony led by folk singer William Prince. Jessie Reyez also performed, appearing beside a giant replica of the World Cup trophy as fans streamed into the venue.
Bublé made his entrance shortly before the opening game between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. As flags representing every team in the competition were carried onto the pitch, the 50-year-old singer stood in the center circle and performed his 2022 song Bring It On Home To Me.
Morissette, who is known for rarely seeking the spotlight, also appeared as part of the ceremony. Her rendition of the Canadian national anthem added an emotional note to the occasion ahead of kickoff.
Violinist Aleksandar Gajic performed the anthem for Bosnia and Herzegovina, rounding out the opening moments of a celebratory night in Toronto.
Michael Buble performs moments before Canada started their World Cup campaign
The 50-year-old took to the field minutes to headline his country’s World Cup party
The Canadian opening ceremony began with a performance from folk singer William Prince
Singer Jessie Reyez also took to the field, performing around a giant World Cup trophy
Canada are World Cup hosts for the first time, seeking their first ever win in the tournament
Thousands of Canada fans marched to the stadium from downtown Toronto on Friday
Canada fans were in the party mood ahead of the team’s opening game of the competition
Canada, hosts of the tournament for the first time, headed into the game desperately looking for their first-ever win in the competition.
The team is considered the country’s ‘golden generation’, spearheaded by star striker Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies – the latter unfortunately absent from the opening game due to injury. It was a terrible start, though – they fell 1-0 down after 21 minutes through a header by Jovo Lukic.
It was Shakira who, 24 hours earlier, lifted the curtain on the tournament with a star-studded performance at Mexico’s iconic Estadio Azteca for the very first game of the biggest World Cup ever.
It set the tone for a successful start by another co-host, with Mexico cruising to a 2-0 victory against South Africa in a game that saw three players sent off.
There was also trouble outside the Mexico City stadium, with protesters clashing with riot police in the streets.
The Daily Mail witnessed the carnage unfold, as protesters – some reportedly made up of the families of those missing in the Mexican drug war – attempted to breach the stadium and were forcibly pushed back by officers. A man had a heart attack outside the venue in an unrelated incident.
Just ten minutes before the start of the Mexico-South Africa tournament opener, hundreds of demonstrators approached the grounds from the north-east side, attempting to enter the stadium’s inner ring.
They threw flares and rocks at officers and smashed a lorry parked nearby. Riot police were quickly deployed and pushed the demonstrators back up the road, firing tear gas and throwing rocks back in the process.
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The excitement was ramping up before the first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Shakira wowed fans with her performance at the opening ceremony in Mexico Thursday
Protesters attempt to breach the Mexico City Stadium but are stopped by a line of riot police on Thursday
A demonstrator waves a stick in front of riot police during violent scenes outside the stadium on the first day of the tournament in Mexico
There was no sign of the same trouble marring events in Canada on Friday afternoon as Buble’s glitzy performance got underway.
Remarkably, Fox, the host broadcaster in the United States, skipped most of Buble’s performance, showing only a shorter version to American soccer fans. They did the same for Shakira’s performance in Mexico on Thursday.
Later on Friday, the tournament finally begins on American soil when the USA team meets Paraguay in Los Angeles.
That opening ceremony is headlined by Katy Perry – who is dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – while hip-hop star Future will also feature.
Canada’s team, meanwhile, will play Qatar in the second game next Thursday in Vancouver.
They will round off the group stage against Switzerland on June 24.
