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.
Verified by Validiris·📚 6 sources·🧠 AI-checked·🇧🇪 Belgian: MediumWhy you can trust this
About this story
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.
How to read this story
The history
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.
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.
Local impact
The most concrete Belgian effect will be in football-facing hospitality: sports bars, local fan clubs and cafés across Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and other cities can expect World Cup viewing demand to build around Belgium's Group G matches rather than around the Los Angeles ceremony itself.
International angle
The ceremony underlined the unusual structure of the 2026 World Cup: one tournament across three North American countries, with separate national openings and a 48-team field. For European viewers, including Belgians, it means a tournament shaped by long travel distances, North American time zones and host-city branding as well as football form.
What this means for you
Belgian readers planning to follow the tournament should check local kick-off times, broadcast availability and venue schedules for communal screenings. The Los Angeles opener is mainly a signal that the daily World Cup cycle has begun; Belgium-specific viewing plans become urgent from the Egypt match on 15 June.
What happens next
The tournament now moves through the first group-stage round. FIFA's schedule lists Belgium against Egypt in Seattle on 15 June, followed by Belgium against Iran in Los Angeles and New Zealand against Belgium in Vancouver later in Group G. The immediate sporting question for Belgian readers is whether the Red Devils can start strongly enough to avoid pressure in the expanded but still unforgiving group format.
Potential consequences
If the US-hosted spectacle draws strong audiences, FIFA may treat multi-city, entertainment-heavy ceremonies as a template for future expanded tournaments. For Belgium, the more immediate consequence is audience attention: a strong global launch can raise viewing and hospitality demand around the Red Devils' first matches. The sporting risk is that the tournament's size creates more noise around teams, but Belgium's path will still be determined by results against Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.
Timeline
- 2017-01-10·FIFA approved expanding the men's World Cup to 48 teams from the 2026 edition.
- 2023-03-14·FIFA confirmed a 104-match format with 12 groups of four teams.
- 2026-06-11·The 2026 World Cup opened in Mexico.
- 2026-06-12·Canada and the United States staged their first home-match ceremonies.
- 2026-06-15·FIFA's schedule lists Belgium's Group G opener against Egypt in Seattle.
- 2026-07-19·FIFA's tournament calendar places the final on 19 July.
Related to this story
Live connections from the Belgium Impulse ecosystem — not recommendations.
This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.