Every Non-Soccer Celebrity at the 2026 World Cup This Summer
FIFA is preparing for the biggest World Cup in the competition's nearly 100-year history, as 48 competing nations convene in North America this summer.
The tournament will see soccer's finest battles on the grandest stage in a bid to claim the ultimate prize: World Cup glory. Legacies will be cultivated, honed and potentially tarnished, as the eyes of the sporting world veer towards a single event.
In an era of influencing and on a continent that sees sport and entertainment as non-negotiably intertwined, the on-field talent won't be the only thing dazzling fans this summer.
The typically mundane World Cup draw, conducted last December, was littered with A-listers from Kevin Hart to Tom Brady, setting the tone for what has the makings of a celebrity-laden World Cup. Three host countries means a trio of opening ceremonies, with FIFA keen to begin the tournament in style.
Starting with those performing in Los Angeles, Mexico City and Toronto, here's a list of celebrities who have a confirmed role to play at the 2026 World Cup.
Opening Ceremonies
Michael Bublé
90 minutes before the second-ever World Cup campaign in Canada men's soccer history gets underway, Canadian singer and songwriter Michael Bublé and a long list of headliners will take the stage for the opening ceremony in Toronto.
The 50-year-old with Italian heritage won't be questioning where his allegiances lie this summer, given that Italy failed to qualify for the third World Cup in succession.
Bublé has been linked to investing in the Vancouver Whitecaps amid relocation fears, and is certainly bullish on the franchise staying exactly where it is.
Alanis Morissette
A U.S. citizen since 2005 but born in the Canadian capital, Alanis Morissette is another hugely recognizable figure who'll be taking the stage at BMO Field in Toronto.
A cultural phenomenon in the 90s, Morissette has since dabbled in an array of fields, including film, podcasting and Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds. The pair were an item for five years in the early 2000s. She's a seven-time Grammy Award winner and has sold more than 60 million records around the globe.
The 52-year-old will be touring the United Kingdom and Ireland later this month, too.
Alessia Cara
The four-time Grammy Award nominee is also of Italian heritage but Ontario-born. Relatively local to Toronto Stadium, which will stage Canada's opening game against Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cara has said her nation hosting the World Cup is a "historic moment".
In 2018, Cara became the first Canadian artist to ever win a Grammy for Best New Artist, having risen to prominence on YouTube as a teenager.
Elyanna
The burgeoning Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna opened for Coldplay at Wembley Stadium, among other venues, last year, and the 24-year-old's star will continue to shine brightly in Toronto.
Elyanna, whose collaboration with the British band thrust her into mainstream prominence, has created 'Illuminate' alongside R&B singer and Toronto native Jessie Reyez for the tournament.
She's listed 'Wavin' Flags' and 'Waka Waka' as her two favorite World Cup anthems, evidently possessing good taste.
Vegedream
It doesn't matter if you don't have a clue what he's saying on either side of the player names, Vegedream's 'Ramenez la coupe à la maison', which celebrated France's World Cup triumph in 2018, is as catchy a soccer tune as there is.
Arsenal supporters were reminded of the brief Ousmane Dembélé snippet after their recent Champions League final defeat.
Few would complain if the French rapper performed his most popular work in Toronto on Friday, but he'll instead showcase his latest project 'Siir Siir'-a multilingual anthem also featuring Canadian singer NoraFatehi and Bangladeshi-American DJ Sanjoy.
William Prince
William Prince of the Peguis First Nation-an indigenous community located in Manitoba, Canada-will join the esteemed group of headliners in Toronto.
The 40-year-old is a folk and country singer who has recorded 10 singles and five studio albums. In 2016, he won the Western Canadian Music Award for Aboriginal Artist of the Year.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry may be dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but she'll be headlining the United States' opening ceremony in Inglewood, California. The USMNT's highly anticipated campaign gets underway against Paraguay on Friday.
A hugely publicized figure and one of the most successful pop stars of the 21st century, Perry will kick things off with a bang at SoFi Stadium, especially if she belts out 'Firework'.
Future
Few are harder working in the industry than Atlanta-born rapper Future, whose career has spanned over 20 years. His big break came with 'Tony Montana' in 2011, and he's since been involved in an array of projects, some vastly more successful than others.
He peaked in the mid-to-late 2010s, with his work this decade considerably less popular than the likes of 'Future', 'DS2' and 'HNDRXX'.
Future collaborated with South African singer-songwriter Tyla to produce 'Game Time', which features on the official 2026 World Cup album.
LISA
Thai rapper and singer LISA of the hugely popular Blackpink features in Nike's 'Rip The Script' commercial ahead of the World Cup, sharing a scene with Mexico center forward Raúl Jiménez.
The K-pop artist with nine Guinness World Records to her name will perform 'Goals' with Anitta and Rema at SoFi Stadium. The cross-cultural collaboration blends Latin pop, K-pop and Afrobeats influences.
Marilina Bogado
Even the supposed enemy will be represented before the USMNT's World Cup campaign gets underway. FIFA has hired Paraguayan singer Marilina Bogado, who has two million Instagram followers, for the opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium.
Maná
Now we're moving on to Mexico, whose opening ceremony in Mexico City on Thursday will officially kick off the 2026 World Cup.
Mexico takes on South Africa in a repeat of the 2010 opener, and Maná's performance will only energize an already fervent Estadio Azteca. Some regard them as the greatest Spanish-language rock band of all time.
Alejandro Fernández
The 55-year-old is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all-time, and will reportedly perform Mexico's national anthem before El Tri kick-off against South Africa.
Belinda
'Por Ella' was the second single released on the 2026 World Cup album in mid-April, featuring the easily recognized vocals of Belinda, who described the chance to be a part of FIFA's upcoming soccer bonanza as an "enormous honor".
She's one of the most successful active Latin acts, with her four studio albums, singles and soundtracks combining to sell over three million copies. 18 million Instagram followers depict her influence and popularity.
J Balvin
Another immensely popular Latin artist who'll be performing in Mexico City, Colombian singer J Balvin has sold over 17 million records worldwide.
A huge soccer fan who listed Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Pelé and Kylian Mbappé as his five greatest players in World Cup history, J Balvin performed the Halftime Show during last summer's FIFA Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
For the upcoming tournament, he‘s worked with Travis Barker to add his own unique twist on Van Halen's classic song, 'Jump'.
Danny Ocean
There will be plenty of South American representation in Mexico City, with Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean also slated to perform at the Azteca.
Ocean, who started out on YouTube, has produced the single 'Partidazo' for the World Cup album.
World Cup Final Half-Time Show
Shakira
Responsible for producing the most notorious and perhaps greatest World Cup song of all-time, "Waka Waka" (2010), Colombian singer Shakira will make two appearances at this summer‘s tournament.
She'll be a part of Mexico's opening ceremony in Mexico City, sharing the stage with Burna Boy to perform their new single 'Dai Dai', and is one of three artists performing in the first-ever World Cup Final Halftime Show, which FIFA says will "unite football, music and social impact on the world's biggest stage".
Shakira co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show with Jennifer Lopez in Miami.
Madonna
Like Shakira, Madonna has had the honor of performing the Super Bowl Halftime Show, doing so in 2012.
The "Queen of Pop" will team up with the "Waka Waka" mastermind in New Jersey this summer for an 11-minute show supporting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide.
Describing the opportunity as "deeply meaningful", the Chelsea-supporting Madonna is the best-selling female music artist of all time and is preparing to release her 15th album, Confessions II, on July 3.
BTS
The show's curator, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, has previously worked with the South Korean megastars. BTS and Coldplay collaborated to produce 'My Universe' in 2021, which reached No. 3 in the U.K. charts.
BTS, comprised of seven members, is the best-selling music act in South Korean history and are on the comeback trail after completing their mandatory military service.
"Music is the universal language of hope and harmony, and we're honored to celebrate that power at the World Cup by connecting with millions of viewers around the world in support of children's education," the group said about the opportunity.
On-Air Personalities
Jameis Winston
The former No. 1 pick out of Florida State University, Jameis Winston may well be the most universally adored man in the NFL.
His days as a starting NFL quarterback are behind him, but Winston will have few issues transitioning into a new world beyond his playing days. Blessed with the most infectious of personalities, Winston will be a part of Fox Sports' World Cup coverage, operating as a globetrotting correspondent.
The 32-year-old is also a co-host of the newly-created "The Other Football" talk show alongside NFL legend Rob Gronkowski, who's traded catching touchdown passes from Tom Brady to spouting everything he knows about soccer on Tubi.
James Corden
The English actor, comedian and television host will star in a new, late-night show, "FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden." The show will happen every night throughout the tournament to discuss the day's games in a lighthearted fashion.
Corden will be accompanied by England national team captain Rio Ferdinand and comedian Ian Karmel, as well as special guests throughout the summer.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 5:11 PM.