World Cup set for three star-studded opening ceremonies - but do not expect a Super Bowl-style extravanganza | OneFootball

The upcoming World Cup is set to make history with an unprecedented trio of star-studded opening ceremonies across its host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Orchestrating these grand spectacles is Italian producer Marco Balich, renowned for his work on this year's Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Balich, fresh from an Olympic event that featured athletes parading across four venues, expressed his readiness for the challenge of producing three distinct shows in three different cities. Each city will host a dedicated team of 260 to 300 individuals to bring the vision to life.

The overarching theme uniting these ceremonies will be "the celebration of sports, the passion for soccer, symbolized by the cup itself”, Balich explained. He added that the concept involves "narrating with three points of view and languages”, incorporating design aesthetics that reflect each culture.

Canada will showcase a mosaic representing its multicultural identity, while Mexico's motif will be traditional papel picado paper cutouts. The United States, Balich noted, will feature "a super shiny, glowing cup." Balich also produced the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Balich hailed the collaboration between Canada, Mexico, and the US as "a very good sign" for hosting "a peaceful World Cup."

He emphasized the significance of this joint effort, stating, "I think it’s very important that we stress the fact that the three nations are working together to host a very important and relevant championship, especially in this moment where there is so much controversy on the political side. But the people are people, and they will get together and enjoy."

Marco Balich has been involved in designing opening ceremonies before (AFP/Getty)

Each ceremony will feature top artistic performances designed to tap into the national identity, though Balich clarified that spectators should not anticipate a Super Bowl-style halftime extravaganza.

Instead, the events will blend welcoming speeches, a parade of flags, the presentation of the match ball, and approximately 30 minutes of musical entertainment. "It's a celebration of football, Fifa and the fact that, thanks to soccer, people get together in peace and harmony," Balich affirmed.

The ceremonies are scheduled to commence about 90 minutes before game time, following a 25-minute player warm-up, a timing strategy organizers hope will encourage early spectator arrival.

Balich drew a distinction between the global appeal of soccer and the Super Bowl, noting: "While the Super Bowl celebrates a game that is only famous in the US, the rest of the world plays soccer, and has a passion that is shared."

The festivities kick off on June 11 in Mexico City, preceding the Mexico City-South Africa match, with a lineup including Latin rock band Maná, Colombian singer J Balvin, and South African pop star Tyla. T

he celebrations continue on June 12 in Toronto, ahead of the Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina game, featuring Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé.

Later that day, Los Angeles Stadium will host the US-Paraguay opener, with international stars Katy Perry, global pop star LISA, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Brazilian pop artist Anitta, and hip-hop artist Future taking the stage.

Balich is enjoying the unique distinction of producing two of the world's largest sports ceremonies this year—the 2026 Winter Games opening ceremony and the 2026 World Cup—even as his home country, Italy, misses its third consecutive World Cup.

"It is very encouraging, actually, to compensate the sad news that Italy is not there this time," Balich remarked, adding that Italy's absence, "which is a disaster for us, has also enabled us to be very impartial" in celebrating each host country "in a similar way."