The 2026 World Cup opened in Canada with a ceremony featuring Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé. Canadian fans celebrated ahead of the first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium.
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Canada's moment in the 2026 World Cup spotlight has arrived with a joyous opening ceremony featuring home-grown music stars Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé.
Canadian fans arrived in a sea of red ahead of the first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they broke out into an impromptu rendition of the national anthem O Canada as they entered Toronto Stadium.
It comes a day after the global tournament began in Mexico City on Thursday with another opening ceremony that featured Shakira and Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
Meanwhile, the first US game in Los Angeles, held later on Friday, will feature performances from chart-topping artist Katy Perry and Atlanta rapper Future.
The 2026 tournament is being hosted in all three countries and is set to be the largest ever, with 48 nations competing.
"We've very excited. This is a long time coming," said Peter Giacobbe, a Toronto native who is attending Canada games in both Toronto and Vancouver, the country's second host city, along with his friend Robert McIntosh.
"We woke up this morning realising that this is making Canadian history together," McIntosh said.
Fans of the national Bosnian team were equally excited. Hundreds arrived to the stadium in a separate march following the Canadian fans. Some told the BBC they travelled from their home country to watch their team play in the World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Others, like Bosnian-Canadian Layla Mesic, were closer to home. Mesic was at the stadium with her Canadian mother, who donned a Team Canada jersey while Mesic proudly sported Bosnia's yellow and blue.
"To even qualify to the World Cup, it's a big point of pride of us," Mesic said. "Today I'm 100% Bosnian."
She added that, to her, this is a once-in-a-life-time experience. "It might have cost an arm and a leg, but I'm here."
Morissette performed the national anthem to a cheering crowd. Bublé, who performed with a choir, led the fans in the stands in a rousing rendition of Bring It on Home to Me, by Mississippi soul singer Sam Cooke.
Along with Bublé and Morissette, performers for Canada's opening ceremony included Canadian singer Alessia Cara, Palestinian singer-songwriter Elyanna, and Toronto natives Jessie Reyes and Nora Fatehi.
William Prince, an indigenous artist from Manitoba, also performed.
Organisers said the list of performers was inspired by Canada's communities and "rich diversity".
Ahead of the match, the announcer in the Toronto Stadium asked the crowd to "join us in a round of applause for peace".
Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé performed at the opening ceremony in Canada.
The first match in Canada was between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 2026 World Cup is significant as it is the largest ever, featuring 48 nations and hosted by Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
The opening ceremony for the 2026 World Cup took place on the same day as the first match in Canada.
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Later in the day, the match between the US and Paraguay in Los Angeles will be opened by performers including Katy Perry, Future, Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta and Blackpink alumna and actress LISA.
Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla will also perform.
While big-name celebrities are expected to be in attendance, neither US president Donald Trump nor Canadian prime minister Mark Carney will be at either of their countries' opening matches.
Instead, US state secretary Marco Rubio will be in LA.
Carney, meanwhile, in France for a working trip ahead of next week's G7 summit. He is expected to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum also skipped her country's first game on Thursday, saying she did so in protest over the tournament's high ticket prices.
Fifa is also planning a star-studded show for the closing ceremony on 19 July, where it will host its first-ever halftime show in its near 100-year history, modelled after similar spectacles at the Super Bowl.
Headliners include Coldplay's Chris Martin, Madonna and Shakira.
The final game will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.