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

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 a Group A match between host nation Mexico and South Africa, launching a 39-day competition that runs through July 20. Before the match, the venue hosted a glittering opening ceremony featuring performances by some of the world's biggest musical acts.

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 this year's World Cup.

Shakira, the "queen of Latin pop" long associated with the World Cup and other major football tournaments, then took the stage alongside hip-hop artist Burna Boy to perform another official tournament song, "Dai Dai," capping a vibrant musical program.

At the center of the pitch, flags from all 48 participating nations entered one by one and formed a circle around the center spot. The flags were brought in by group, and South Korea's Taegukgi — drawn into Group A — entered second, right after South Africa's flag.

The flags of the three co-hosts — Mexico, Canada and the United States — entered last, side by side. Mexico's flag, representing the nation playing that day, was the 48th and final one to take its place at the center circle.

The Azteca — Mexico City Stadium — was packed to its 80,824-seat capacity. As kickoff approached, Mexican fans set off a wave that rippled around the stands, signaling the start of football's greatest festival. Moments before the opening whistle, spectators simultaneously released paper folded into the shape of a traditional sombrero, creating a striking spectacle.

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

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

The tournament's group stage features 12 groups of four teams each. The top two finishers from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, advance to a 32-team knockout round — one round more than in previous editions. From the round of 32 onward, the competition follows the traditional single-elimination format through to the final.

South Korea, which qualified for the World Cup for an 11th consecutive time, has set its sights on reaching the quarterfinals — a loftier ambition than the round of 16 it achieved at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The team is widely regarded as the second-strongest side in Group A behind Mexico.

The squad, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, faces Mexico on June 19 at 10 a.m. Korean Standard Time in Guadalajara, then takes on South Africa in the group's third match on June 25 at 10 a.m. Korean Standard Time in Monterrey, Mexico.