'K-Pop Demon Hunters' star Lee Jae belts out World Cup anthem with Bocelli at Mexico City opening ceremony

Latin pop queen Shakira performs 'Dai Dai'; South Korea's flag enters second among 48 nations in Group A

Tenor Andrea Bocelli (left) and singer-songwriter Lee Jae, known for the Netflix animated series "K-Pop Demon Hunters," perform at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony at Mexico City Stadium on Friday. [TASS]

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off in spectacular fashion in Mexico City, the first of three co-host nations to stage its opening ceremony.

The tournament began Friday at Mexico City Stadium with the Group A opener between host nation Mexico and South Africa — the first of 39 days of competition running through July 20. Before the match, a star-studded opening ceremony lit up the same venue.

Singer-songwriter Lee Jae, who rose to global stardom through the Netflix animated series "K-Pop Demon Hunters," joined world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli to perform "DNA," the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup.

Shakira, the "queen of Latin pop" long associated with football tournaments, then took the stage alongside Afrobeats artist Burna Boy to perform another official tournament song, "Dai Dai," capping a vibrant lineup of performances.

At the center of the pitch, flags from all 48 participating nations entered one by one and formed a ring around the center circle. With flags processed in group order, South Korea's Taegukgi — representing Group A — entered second, right after South Africa.

The flags of the three co-hosts — Mexico, Canada and the United States — came in last. Mexico's flag, whose team was playing that day, was the 48th to take its place in the center circle.

The 80,824-seat Azteca Stadium — a hallowed ground of Mexican football — was packed to capacity. As kickoff approached, the home crowd set off a wave around the stands to herald the start of the football festival. Moments before the whistle, fans simultaneously released paper folded into the shape of a traditional sombrero, filling the air in a striking display.

Performers take the stage at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Mexico City Stadium on Friday. [Reuters]

With three nations sharing hosting duties, the tournament features three separate opening ceremonies — one per host country. Friday's ceremony in Mexico City was the first. Canada's follows Saturday at Toronto Stadium ahead of the Group B opener between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 4 a.m. Korean Standard Time.

The United States then holds its opening ceremony at Los Angeles Stadium on Saturday at 10 a.m. Korean Standard Time, before the Group D opener between the United States and Paraguay.

The expanded 48-team field is divided into 12 groups of four. The top two finishers from each group, plus the eight best third-place teams, advance to a 32-team knockout round — one round more than in previous tournaments. From the round of 32 onward, the competition follows the traditional single-elimination format through to the final.

South Korea, qualifying for the World Cup for the 11th consecutive time, has set its sights on reaching the quarterfinals — an away-tournament milestone — after advancing to the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The team is widely regarded as the second-strongest side in Group A behind Mexico.

The national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, faces Mexico in Guadalajara on Friday at 10 a.m. Korean Standard Time, then takes on South Africa in Monterrey on June 25 at 10 a.m. Korean Standard Time.

Mexican football fans dressed in green cheer ahead of the Group A opener between Mexico and South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Mexico City Stadium on Friday. [EPA]

yjc@heraldcorp.com