FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony Live Updates: Performances Underway At Estadio Azteca

The opening ceremony has begun with a message of welcome from the hosts.

"People of the world, welcome to Mexico," an elegantly dressed announcer declared as performers combined traditional and contemporary dance around a giant replica of the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

The wait is over. The FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony is officially underway at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony has not yet begun despite the scheduled start time having passed at Estadio Azteca.

No official reason for the brief delay has been communicated so far. Remember, England’s final warm-up match was delayed by a thunderstorm on Wednesday. 

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates from Mexico City.

The countdown is nearly over in Mexico City.

More than 80,000 fans have packed into Estadio Azteca, creating a sea of green as Mexico supporters prepare to welcome their stars onto football's grandest stage.

South African fans are also making their presence felt, adding to an atmosphere that has steadily built throughout the evening.

We're now less than 10 minutes away from the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony at the Estadio Azteca.

The stadium is filling up, the stage is set and anticipation is building ahead of a star-studded show featuring Shakira, Burna Boy, J Balvin, Tyla and several Mexican music icons.

The festivities in Mexico City are only the beginning.

For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the tournament is being launched through a multi-city opening celebration spanning three host nations. Rather than a single curtain-raiser, FIFA has planned a trilogy of opening ceremonies across Mexico, Canada and the United States.

Today's ceremony at Estadio Azteca serves as the first chapter, with organisers showcasing Mexican culture through music, dance and artistic displays inspired by papel picado, the country's traditional decorative paper craft.

The celebrations will continue on Friday when Canada and the United States host their own opening events ahead of their tournament debuts.

Toronto is set to stage a ceremony featuring performers including Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette and Nora Fatehi, while Los Angeles will host a separate showcase headlined by Katy Perry, Future and BLACKPINK star LISA.

The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup will be unlike any tournament that has come before it.

For the first time in history, 48 teams will compete for football's biggest prize, up from the 32-team format that had been in place since France 1998. The expansion increases the number of participating nations by 16 and brings more countries from every confederation into the competition.

The 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage, creating a Round of 32 before the traditional last-16 phase.

The expanded format means the tournament will feature 104 matches, compared to 64 at Qatar 2022, making it the largest FIFA World Cup ever staged. It is also the first World Cup to be jointly hosted by three nations, Mexico, the United States and Canada.

One of the most anticipated moments of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony will see Shakira and Burna Boy perform Dai Dai, the tournament's official song, for the first time in front of a live audience.

Released last month, the title is derived from the Italian slang "dai dai", which roughly translates to "come on, come on," a common sporting expression used to encourage players and fans alike.

The song blends Latin pop influences with Afro-fusion rhythms and was designed to reflect the global nature of the tournament. Its multilingual lyrics span English, Spanish, Italian, French and Japanese, while the songwriting credits include music industry heavyweights Ed Sheeran and Jon Bellion alongside Shakira and Burna Boy.

Here's a look at the official music video, released in May, which features appearances from footballing stars starting with Kylian Mbappé.

The last time Mexico and South Africa met in a FIFA World Cup opening match, Siphiwe Tshabalala produced one of the tournament's most iconic openers. 

Who is going to produce the opening goal at the 2026 edition? 

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to officially get underway in Mexico City with a star-studded opening ceremony ahead of the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa.

Hosted at the iconic Estadio Azteca, the ceremony will launch the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup and celebrate a tournament being staged across three host nations, Mexico, the United States and Canada, for the first time in history. Mexico is also making history as the first country to host World Cup matches across three different editions.

Global music stars Shakira and Burna Boy are set to perform the official tournament song Dai Dai, while Tyla, J Balvin, Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Los Ángeles Azules, Belinda, Lila Downs and Danny Ocean are also expected to feature in the pre-match spectacle.