Updated: 2026-06-19 | Real-time data should be confirmed against official announcements
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 12 at Toronto’s BMO Field (known as Toronto Stadium during the tournament), with host Canada facing Bosnia and Herzegovina. But what truly flooded social feeds in Taiwan and India was not the scoreline on the pitch, but the opening show that took place about 90 minutes before kickoff: popular Bollywood dancer and actress Nora Fatehi took the stage in a fiery red outfit, performing one of this edition’s official theme songs, “Siir Siir,” and clips of her dynamic dance moves quickly went viral online.
Many people’s first reaction upon seeing her name was: “A Bollywood star? How did she end up headlining Canada’s opening ceremony?” That was also the question this auto-draft originally raised. But after checking the facts, the answer is actually quite simple: Nora Fatehi is Canadian in the first place. She was born on February 6, 1992, in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Toronto; her father is of Moroccan descent and her mother is from the Punjab region of India, and she only later moved to India to pursue an entertainment career. In other words, this was not FIFA scrambling to recruit a foreign superstar to “borrow some shine,” but rather a born-and-raised Torontonian performing back at her hometown stadium. For the host city, the arrangement could hardly have been more fitting.
That night’s opening lineup was packed with stars. Besides Nora Fatehi, there were local Canadian icon Michael Bublé, Grammy winner Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, and Palestinian singer Elyanna, among others; Alanis Morissette performed the Canadian anthem “O Canada.” Live reviews from various media outlets were mixed: the segments by Nora Fatehi and Elyanna were considered the most electric, but some critics described the overall program as relatively flat in pace.
For Nora Fatehi, the stage of a major football event is nothing new. At the closing ceremony of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, she performed the official track “Light The Sky.” Canada is home to one of the largest populations of Indian descent in the world, and by opening with a performer who connects both local Canadian and South Asian audiences, FIFA captured two huge viewing demographics at once, which is the logical context for her being slotted to open in Toronto this time.
Still, the opening ceremony was not without controversy. Social media was full of complaints about the noticeable empty seats in the stands at the Toronto venue (as well as the Guadalajara, Mexico venue on the same day), and some users mocked it alongside a clip alleged to show a “trophy-segment mishap”; FIFA responded that the visually empty seats were mostly due to spectators gathering in the concourses and at the back of the stands. As for atmosphere, multiple reports felt the Toronto event was relatively subdued, not as boisterous and fervent as the Mexico City opening.
The match after the performance was also worth noting. Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in a 1-1 draw: Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Jovo Lukić opened the scoring with a header from a corner, while Canada equalized through Ontario forward Cyle Larin, who had just come on as a substitute, in the 78th minute. That point gave the Canadian men’s team its first-ever World Cup point, and they earned it at their home stadium in Toronto, which carries special meaning for the host nation.
If you are getting ready to watch a match in person in Vancouver or Toronto, pre-match shows like the opening ceremony are usually scheduled in the window before kickoff, so it is advisable to allow plenty of time to get through security and into the venue so you don’t miss it; as for which fixtures have extra performance segments, please refer to the official schedule and venue announcements. To get a handle on the match-watching details for Canada’s two host cities, you can refer to our compiled Canada watching guide. Overall, rather than the question of “is she Canadian or not” — which already had a clear answer — this opening felt more like Toronto’s own people coming home to throw a party: the star power was bright enough, the stands just weren’t quite full yet.
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