[2026 World Cup] Spectacular Opening at Mexico City Stadium, the Sacred Ground of Mexican Football

The 2026 FIFA CONCACAF World Cup, co-hosted for the first time in history by the United States, Mexico, and Canada and expanded to 48 participating countries, kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony at the iconic Mexico City Stadium—known as the sacred ground of Mexican football—on June 12, 2026 (Korea time).

Mexico City Stadium, which can accommodate up to 87,500 spectators, became the first venue in World Cup history to host the opening match for the third time. Mexico is hosting the World Cup for the third time after 1970 and 1986, and both the opening and final matches of those previous tournaments were also held at this stadium.

Opened in 1966, Mexico City Stadium is a historic venue where two legendary figures in world football, Pele and Diego Maradona, each lifted the World Cup trophy here in 1970 and 1986, respectively.

Shakira is performing the theme song "Dai Dai" at the opening ceremony of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup held at Mexico City Stadium on the 12th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

Before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Group A of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup, a celebratory performance and opening event began at approximately 2:40 a.m. on this day.

The ceremony commenced with the entrance of the flags of all 48 participating nations. As each group entered in order, South Korea’s Taegukgi appeared second in Group A, following South Africa. The flags of the three co-host nations—Mexico, Canada, and the United States—entered last, with Mexico’s flag making its appearance as the 48th and final entry.

The opening ceremony resembled a massive pop concert, with leading singers from Central and South America taking the stage one after another, including Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda Peregrin, and Lila Downs from Mexico, Danny Ocean from Venezuela, and J Balvin from Colombia.

Dancers are showcasing a magnificent group performance at the opening ceremony of the 2026 North American World Cup held on the 12th (Korean time) at the Mexico City Stadium. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The atmosphere reached its peak when Colombian "Queen of Latin Pop" Shakira appeared alongside hip-hop artist Burna Boy to perform the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup anthem "Dai Dai." Singer-songwriter Lee Jae, who has risen to international stardom through the animated series K-Pop Demon Hunters, performed another World Cup anthem, "DNA," together with world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The performances spanned a variety of genres, blending Mexican traditional music, rap, and techno. On the field, dancers adorned in elaborate feathered costumes representing Aztec warriors put on a spectacular group dance, while hundreds of performers in golden outfits joined in a mass choreography. At the center of the stage, a giant golden sphere reminiscent of a soccer ball and the sun god of the Aztec civilization drew spectators’ attention.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup is taking place at the Mexico City Stadium on the 12th (local time). Photo by AFP News Agency

Prior to the main event, the stadium was filled with nostalgic 1980s pop music evoking memories of the 1986 Mexico World Cup. As hit songs like MC Hammer’s "U Can’t Touch This" played, cheers erupted from the stands.

For the first time in history, the World Cup is being jointly hosted by three countries, and as a result, three separate opening ceremonies will be held—one in each nation. The first ceremony took place in Mexico City on this day, followed by Canada’s opening ceremony at Toronto Stadium at 4:00 a.m. on June 13, ahead of the Group B match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Later that same day, the United States opening ceremony will be held at Los Angeles Stadium at 10:00 a.m., prior to the Group D match between the United States and Paraguay.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.