Lisa, left, and Jung Kook / Xportsnews
Lisa joining the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony is drawing major attention in Korea, with many fans looking back at the rare moments K-pop artists have appeared on football’s biggest global stage.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed through his official account that Lisa will perform at the opening ceremony in Los Angeles alongside artists including Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, Rema and Tyla.
The Thai K-pop star is also reportedly preparing music for an official World Cup soundtrack with Anitta, Rema and Brazilian music duo Tropkillaz.
The announcement marks another milestone for K-pop’s growing global influence, as Lisa becomes only the third K-pop artist to perform at a FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.
Before her, Jung Kook became the first solo K-pop artist to headline a World Cup opening ceremony in 2022, performing the official soundtrack “Dreamers” alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Jung Kook’s performance was widely celebrated online at the time, with clips from the ceremony spreading rapidly across social media and helping introduce more global sports viewers to K-pop.
The first Korean artists to appear at a World Cup opening ceremony were Lena Park and R&B duo Brown Eyes during the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
The singers performed the tournament’s local official theme song “Let's Get Together Now” alongside Japanese artists Chemistry and Sowelu.
At the time, however, Korea was one of the host countries and the opening ceremony was held in Seoul, making the inclusion of Korean artists less surprising.
Source: Korea Times News
