Overview
- Mexico City held the first ceremony on June 11 with headliners Shakira and Burna Boy, and Toronto and Los Angeles followed on June 12 in a planned three-act rollout tied to the expanded 48-team tournament.
- Star-studded lineups spanned regions and genres, with performers appearing across multiple shows, but critics and viewers said the concerts sometimes read more like branded pop events than unified cultural showcases.
- Toronto’s ceremony received particular praise for centering Indigenous artists and a mosaic theme that foregrounded Canada’s multicultural identity rather than obvious corporate activations.
- Social media circulated doubts about the authenticity of some on-stage appearances in Mexico City, including unproven claims about Shakira, but no evidence has emerged to confirm a body double or fakery.
- Commentators have urged FIFA to reassess the three-city format because uneven production, empty-seat shots and a perceived focus on sponsorship risk undermining the opening ritual’s cultural purpose and global reach.