Another K-pop star will take the World Cup stage. Blackpink member Lisa is set to headline the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America next month.
The Athletic, a sports outlet owned by The New York Times, exclusively reported on the 9th (Korea time), "FIFA plans to hold opening ceremonies for the host countries' first matches at this summer's World Cup. According to sources, an artist lineup has been assembled to perform before kickoff," the outlet said.
This World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico. Accordingly, there will be three opening ceremonies. First, at the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa at Estadio Azteca on June 11 local time, Mexican rock band Maná, pop star Alejandro Fernández and singer Belinda will perform.
Also set to perform is Los Ángeles Azules, famous for traditional Mexican cumbia-style music, and South African singer-songwriter Tyla is included. Mexico and South Africa are in Group A with the South Korea national team coached by Hong Myung-bo. They will compete with Korea and the Czech Republic for advancement to the round of 32.
At the Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina match in Toronto on June 12, Canadian singers Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette and Alessia Cara will handle the opening performances.
On the same day at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the United States will play Paraguay, Katy Perry is scheduled as the main headliner. Lisa will also attend. She is expected to perform alongside U.S. rapper Future, Los Angeles-based Bangladeshi-American DJ Sanjoy, and Paraguayan singer Marilina Bogado, among others.
The Athletic said, "Lisa, a Thai singer who gained global popularity as a member of Blackpink, will also participate in the FIFA events," and added, "FIFA plans to encourage fans to be seated early for the opening ceremonies. The ceremonies will begin 90 minutes before kickoff for all three matches."
The outlet added, "Under the plan, the Mexico opening ceremony is currently 16 minutes and 30 seconds long, and the U.S. and Canada performances will each run 13 minutes. Afterward, players will be able to use the pitch for pregame warm-ups, and the protocol events conducted at all three matches will begin 25 minutes before kickoff and last 13 minutes each."
With Lisa invited to the World Cup opening ceremony stage, a K-pop singer will take the World Cup stage for a second consecutive tournament. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup opening ceremony, BTS member Jungkook performed the official soundtrack Dreamers in a solo feature format.
Four years later, at this North American World Cup, Lisa is expected to share the stage with other artists. It appears to be a choice FIFA made mindful of its influence in the Asian market.
Lisa, from Buriram, Thailand, debuted in 2016 as a member of Blackpink and has pursued solo activities as well. She is particularly a huge star across Southeast Asia, with the most Instagram followers among Blackpink members. Her 2021 solo single "LALISA" recorded first-week sales of about 736,000 copies, setting the highest first-week sales record for a K-pop female solo artist.
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