Story perspectives

U.S. Beats Paraguay 4-1; Future, BLACKPINK Perform ??

6/14/2026

Summary

USA Opens World Cup

The United States opened the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on June 12, 2026, before the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1.
Rapper Future and South African singer Tyla opened the show with “Game Time,” while BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Brazilian singer Anitta and Nigerian singer Rema performed the official anthem “Goals.”
Future performances also included Katy Perry with Tius Luka, Dan + Shay singing the U.S. anthem, and Purahei Soul singing Paraguay’s anthem.

Summary

Lisa Debuts

Lisa of Blackpink became the first Thai artist and first female K-pop performer, also the first K-pop girl-group member, to appear live at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.
She performed “Goals” with singer Anitta and Nigerian artist Rema, blending Latin pop, K-pop and Afrobeats.
The act sparked hot-topic discussion on social networks and in international media.
The 2026 opening ceremonies are the first ever staged separately in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

History

Historical Context

In July 1988 FIFA awarded the World Cup to United States, the first host in the Americas outside Latin America. The 1994 tournament opened on 17 June 1994 at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, drawing a record 3,587,538 spectators and proving the commercial appeal of a U.S. showcase. The 2026 opening ceremony at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium unites Asian, Latin and African performers as United States co-hosts with Canada and Mexico.

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USA Opens World Cup

The United States opened the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on June 12, 2026, before the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1.
Rapper Future and South African singer Tyla opened the show with “Game Time,” while BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Brazilian singer Anitta and Nigerian singer Rema performed the official anthem “Goals.”
Future performances also included Katy Perry with Tius Luka, Dan + Shay singing the U.S. anthem, and Purahei Soul singing Paraguay’s anthem.

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