The 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup was a stage that reaffirmed the global influence of K-culture as well as soccer. From the opening to the final, artists based in Korea took major stages one after another, capturing the attention of fans around the world.
From the start of the tournament, the presence of K-pop was prominent. At the opening event held earlier in Mexico City, singer-songwriter EJAE, who sang the film "K-pop Demon Hunters" OST "Golden," joined world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli to perform the World Cup theme "DNA." In particular, Korean lyrics rang out on the global festival stage and drew widespread attention.
At the opening ceremony held in Los Angeles, U.S., Blackpink member Lisa performed the World Cup theme "Goals" with Anita and Rema, heating up the festival atmosphere with a spectacular performance.
The tournament's finale was also decorated by K-pop. At the final held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, U.S., BTS took the stage as the headliner of the first-ever World Cup final halftime show in FIFA history. BTS said after the performance, "It was an honor to stand on the first halftime show stage of the World Cup final that I watched often as a child," and noted, "It felt like a dream to be able to take part in a performance with such a good cause."
Actor Jung Ho-yeon, who became known to the world through Squid Game Season, also lit up the final. Jung Ho-yeon attended the World Cup trophy unveiling event as a Louis Vuitton ambassador, focusing the attention of viewers around the world.
In this way, this North and Central America World Cup was a tournament in which K-culture's influence continued both inside and outside the stadium. There had been cases of K-pop singers appearing on World Cup stages before, but the fact that Korea-based artists decorated the start and finish of the tournament—from the opening events and opening ceremony to the final halftime show—gave it additional significance.
This World Cup, which expanded into a festival enjoyed by people around the world that included music and culture beyond soccer, is being evaluated as a stage that once again showed that K-pop and K-culture have taken their place at the center of global culture.<
[Photo] 'BigHit'
[OSEN]