belgiumpulse
Search
Image illustrating: Los Angeles Stadium (editorial)
Column-sitter / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0
← Sport

FIFA stages Los Angeles show as US begins its home World Cup

FIFA's 2026 World Cup moved into its United States phase on 12 June with a Los Angeles opening ceremony before the USA-Paraguay group match at Los Angeles Stadium. The event put Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, Anitta, LISA and Rema into a Hollywood-style production designed to mark the third host nation's entrance after Mexico and Canada had already opened their own home fixtures. FIFA's official tournament material lists 2026 as the first World Cup shared by three countries, with an expanded 48-team field and matches running until the 19 July final. For the football itself, the Associated Press match report said the United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in Inglewood. Belgium enters the same tournament on 15 June against Egypt in Seattle, making this less a distant entertainment event than the start of the tournament window Belgian supporters will now follow closely.

Belgium Impulse Editorial·13 June 2026·3 min read·6 sources
Key signal

For Belgian football fans, cafés, broadcasters and families planning late-evening viewing, the Los Angeles ceremony signals that the World Cup has moved from build-up to daily tournament rhythm. FIFA's schedule places Belgium in Group G, starting against Egypt on 15 June, so the opening weekend sets the competitive and broadcast context Belgian viewers will live with for weeks. It also shows how far FIFA has pushed the World Cup toward entertainment spectacle, a shift that affects how supporters experience the tournament beyond the 90 minutes.

FIFA (Zurich-based world football governing body, founded in 1904) runs the men's World Cup. FIFA World Cup 2026 (men's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States from 11 June to 19 July 2026) is the first edition with 48 teams. Los Angeles Stadium (FIFA tournament name for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California) hosted the US ceremony and opener. Katy Perry (American pop singer), Future (American rapper), Tyla (South African singer), Anitta (Brazilian singer), LISA (Thai member of K-pop group Blackpink) and Rema (Nigerian singer) were the headline music acts identified in event coverage. Jason Sudeikis (American actor known for football comedy Ted Lasso) hosted elements of the ceremony. Paraguay (South American national team returning to the World Cup after missing recent editions) faced the United States men's national team, while Belgium's Red Devils begin in Group G.

Background

FIFA's Council approved the 48-team expansion in 2017, replacing the 32-team format used from France 1998 through Qatar 2022. FIFA then confirmed in 2023 that the 2026 edition would use 12 groups of four and 104 matches, abandoning an earlier three-team-group plan. The 1994 United States World Cup was the last men's tournament staged there, while Mexico hosted in 1970 and 1986 and Canada had never co-hosted the men's event before 2026. The Los Angeles ceremony therefore fits a longer FIFA move toward larger tournaments, bigger host markets and more television-driven presentation.

Why now

The story is timely because the United States staged its first host-nation ceremony and match on 12 June, one day after Mexico opened the tournament and three days before Belgium's scheduled Group G opener.

OIS Intelligence

What to watch

Watch Belgium's 15 June opener against Egypt, then the later Group G matches against Iran and New Zealand. Also watch whether the expanded format makes third-place qualification relevant for Belgium if the group tightens.

Sources & evidence