Michael Bublé launched Canada’s World Cup campaign with a glitzy opening ceremony in Toronto on Friday, performing alongside Alanis Morissette as thousands of fans packed the downtown streets ahead of the host nation’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A party atmosphere had built throughout the day as Canadian supporters marched through Toronto towards the stadium, with excitement building ahead of kick-off for the first of six matches to be held in the city. Proceedings on the pitch began with an artist ceremony led by William Prince, followed by a performance from singer Jessie Reyez in front of a giant model of the World Cup trophy.
Bublé, 50, appeared moments before kick-off, standing in the centre circle as flags representing every competing nation were brought onto the field, performing his 2022 track “Bring It On Home To Me.” The occasion proved enticing enough to draw an appearance from the notoriously camera-shy Morissette, who took to the pitch to perform the Canadian national anthem, O Canada. Violinist Aleksandar Gajic performed the anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada’s opponents for their tournament opener as the team begins its first World Cup campaign as co-host nation, still seeking its first ever win in the competition’s history.
Friday’s ceremony followed a similarly star-studded curtain-raiser 24 hours earlier in Mexico, where Shakira performed at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City ahead of the hosts’ 2-0 victory over South Africa — a match that saw three players sent off. That occasion was marred by violence outside the stadium, with hundreds of demonstrators approaching the venue from the north-east just ten minutes before kick-off, throwing flares and rocks at police and smashing a parked lorry before riot police responded with tear gas to push the crowd back.
There was no repeat of such scenes in Toronto, where Bublé’s performance passed without incident. Notably, Fox, the tournament’s host broadcaster in the United States, showed only brief clips of his set to American viewers — a similar approach to its limited coverage of Shakira’s performance in Mexico the previous day.
The tournament reaches American soil later on Friday, when the United States face Paraguay in Los Angeles in an opening ceremony headlined by Katy Perry, who is dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, alongside hip-hop star Future.
Canada’s campaign continues next Thursday against Qatar in Vancouver, before the team closes out its group stage fixtures against Switzerland on 24 June.
