World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony Date, Start Time, Live Stream and More

The eyes of the international sporting community will be on the United States, Canada, and Mexico starting Thursday as the 2026 World Cup kicks off.

The arrival of the most prestigious soccer tournament is ushered in with an opening ceremony. For the first time ever, there will be three ceremonies to celebrate the three co-host countries for this year's event.

Find out when, where, and what to expect from the extravaganza with this preview.

Date: Thursday, June 11 (Mexico), Friday, June 12 (Canada and United States)

Time: 1:30 p.m. (Mexico and Canada), 7:30 p.m. (United States)

Location: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City; BMO Field (Toronto, Canada); SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)

Star-Studded Lineups

The host countries are delivering star power with their respective opening ceremonies.

In Mexico, Shakira and Burna Boy headline a lineup that also features the likes of J Balvin, Tyla, Alejandro Fernandez, Danny Ocean, and more. They kick off the spectacle and pageantry before passing the baton to Canada.

Seven-time GRAMMY winner Alanis Morissette is the marquee star of the Toronto event, with supporting acts that include Alessia Cara, Michael Buble, and Jessie Reyes, among others.

The festivities wrap up Friday night in suburban Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, with Katy Perry headlining the United States ceremony. Multi-platinum rap star Future, four-time Latin-American GRAMMY winner Anitta, and LISA round out the lineup.

Expect each ceremony to highlight the host countries, their cultures, and set the tone for the international play that will see soccer megastars Lionel Messi, Christiano Rinaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Christian Pulisic take to the pitch in pursuit of soccer's greatest world prize.