Katy Perry’s World Cup appearance gave publishers and rights holders a timely reminder of how fast a song can become part of a global event moment. On Friday, she stepped onto the field at the 2026 World Cup opening match between the United States and Paraguay with 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka for a performance of “Wonder.”
A field performance built for maximum visibility
Perry appeared in a glittering silver dress about ten minutes before kickoff at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, surrounded by flags from different countries. The pair performed “Wonder” from Perry’s seventh studio album 143, with Luka singing the opening and closing lines. At the end of the duet, Perry lifted Luka into an embrace as the crowd cheered.
How the song came together
In a social media clip posted before the performance, Perry said Luka recorded his part of the song in 2021 when he was five years old. She said she heard his vocal in 2023 and was inspired to write the verses for “Wonder” and add it to her sixth album. Perry also said Luka flew to Los Angeles from Norway to sing the song with her.
World Cup ceremonies leaned into star power
Perry and Luka were part of a larger opening day lineup across FIFA’s World Cup ceremonies. Earlier in the day, Future and Tyla opened the ceremony with “Game Time,” followed by Lisa of Blackpink, Anitta, and Rema performing “Goals.”
In Toronto, Canada’s opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina was accompanied by performances from Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Eliana, Jessie Reyes, Noah Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream, and William Prince. At Thursday’s official opening game in Mexico City, Shakira and Burna Boy performed their official tournament song, “Dai Dai.”
For rights holders, the immediate takeaway is clear: FIFA’s opening matches are being staged as multi-city music showcases, creating high-profile exposure for songs tied to the tournament. What to watch next is how the remaining World Cup events continue pairing major artists with official songs and ceremony performances.
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