Producer of the Winter Olympics provides three opening ceremonies for the FIFA World Cup

The World Cup will feature an unprecedented trio of star-studded opening ceremonies in the host countries, the United States, Canada and Mexico, created by the Italian producer behind this year’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan Cortina.

Marco Balich, just back from the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, which featured a parade of athletes spread across four locations, said he took on the challenge of producing three shows in three cities, with teams of 260 to 300 people in each city.

The unifying theme of the ceremonies will be “the celebration of sport, the passion for football, symbolized by the cup itself,” Balich said. “The idea is to tell from three points of view and languages,” using design aesthetics representative of each culture.

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In Canada, a mosaic will represent multicultural identity. Mexico’s motif will consist of the traditional paper cutouts called papel picado, while the United States will have «a super shiny, glowing cup,» said Balich, who also produced the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Balich called it a «very good sign» that Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are working together to host «a peaceful World Cup.»

“I think it is very important that we highlight the fact that the three countries are working together to organize a very important and relevant championship, especially at this moment where there is so much controversy on the political side,” said Balich, founder of Balich Wonder Studios. “But people are people, and they will come together and enjoy themselves.”

Each ceremony will feature top artistic achievements that align with national identity, but Balich said spectators should not expect a Super Bowl-style halftime extravaganza. Instead, the ceremonies will combine welcome speeches, a parade of flags, the presentation of the game ball and approximately 30 minutes of musical entertainment.

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“It is a celebration of football, FIFA and the fact that people come together in peace and harmony through football,” Balich said.

Each ceremony will take place about 90 minutes before game time, following a 25-minute warm-up for the players, which organizers hope will encourage spectators to arrive early.

While the Super Bowl “celebrates a game that is only famous in the US, the rest of the world plays football and has a shared passion,” Balich said.

The festivities kick off on June 11 in Mexico City, ahead of the Mexico City-South Africa match, with a show featuring Latin rock band Maná, Colombian singer J Balvin and South African pop star Tyla.

They continue in Toronto on June 12, ahead of the Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina match, headlined by Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé, before heading to Los Angeles Stadium for the USA-Paraguay opener later that day.

International stars will take the stage at the Los Angeles Stadium, including Katy Perry, global pop star LISA, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Brazilian pop artist Anitta and hip-hop artist Future.

The Italian producer enjoys the honor of hosting the two biggest sporting ceremonies in the world this year – the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Games and the 2026 World Cup – as Italy completes its third World Cup in a row.

“It is actually very encouraging to offset the sad news that Italy is not there this time,” Balich said, adding that Italy’s absence “which is a disaster for us, has also allowed us to be very impartial” by celebrating each country “in a similar way.”

Published on June 4, 2026