At the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in Los Angeles, Katy Perry (41) performed one of her songs live for the very first time on Friday evening. The American singer performed "Wonder" together with ten-year-old up-and-coming singer Tius from Norway, concluding the ceremony's program before host nation USA played its opening match against Paraguay.

As U.S. magazine "People" further reports, Perry chose a shimmering silver sequined dress from Stella McCartney's Fall/Winter 2026 collection for the performance. She paired the sculptural fringed dress with transparent wedge mules and silver jewelry.

A Child Star from Norway by Her Side

The musician had already explained who the young singer by Perry's side was one day before the performance. In a video shared on social media, she introduced Tius to her fans. "This little voice you're hearing right now is Tius", Perry wrote.

She also described the story behind the collaboration: "Tius recorded his part for 'Wonder' when he was five years old in 2021. I heard his voice in 2023 and was inspired to write the verses for 'Wonder' and add it to my sixth album." The track is from her 2024 album "143". Tius is now ten years old and flew all the way from Norway to Los Angeles to sing the song with her at the World Cup.

First Live Performance of "Wonder"

The performance marked the very first live performance of "Wonder". Earlier in the week, Perry had hinted at the Tribeca Festival that she would choose a song never before performed on stage - on the occasion of the premiere of "Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour - Live from Paris".

Speaking to "People" beforehand, she said: "It fits very well with the ceremonial song I get to sing." She continued: "And it's not new. It's from one of my albums, and I'm really looking forward to performing it."

Star-Studded Ceremony Lineup

Perry was just one of several prominent artists who performed at the ceremony in Los Angeles. The lineup included Future, Anitta, Lisa from BLACKPINK, Rema, and Tyla. Country duo Dan + Shay sang the U.S. national anthem, while Paraguayan folk-pop group Purahéi Soul performed Paraguay's anthem. The match ended 4-1 in favor of the USA.

Opening Celebrations in Mexico City and Toronto

Los Angeles concluded a series of opening ceremonies. The festivities began on June 11 with an event in Mexico City, and a ceremony also took place in Toronto on the same day. In Mexico City, Shakira and Burna Boy performed, presenting "Dai Dai", the official song of the 2026 World Cup. The lineup there also included Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, and Tyla. The Toronto celebration was led by Michael Bublé, accompanied by Alessia Cara, Alanis Morissette, Elyanna, and Vegedream.

The tournament's return to the USA comes more than three decades after the country last hosted World Cup matches in 1994.