Rema lit up the World Cup opening ceremony in Los Angeles, joining Thai star Lisa and Brazilian singer Anitta to perform their hit “Goals” live for the very first time. The Afrobeats sensation flew Nigeria’s flag on football’s biggest stage as the United States kicked off its leg of the 2026 tournament.
What happened at the LA World Cup opening ceremony
The ceremony took place at SoFi Stadium ahead of the United States’ Group D opener against Paraguay. Katy Perry headlined the star-studded show, which also featured Future and South African star Tyla. The event began about 90 minutes before kick-off, blending music, culture and football in a Hollywood-style spectacle.
It was the third of three opening ceremonies, after Mexico City and Toronto, reflecting the first World Cup co-hosted by three nations. Each city was given room to showcase its own flavour, and Los Angeles leaned fully into celebrity glamour and global pop.
Rema, Lisa and Anitta perform ‘Goals’
The Rema World Cup opening ceremony moment came through “Goals,” a multilingual dance track the trio recorded for the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album. Lisa, of Blackpink, opened with English verses, Anitta sang in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and Rema delivered his verse over the song’s Afrobeats-driven beat.
All three performers and their dancers wore white, and the performance marked the first time they had brought “Goals” to a live stage. For Rema, it placed him at the centre of one of the year’s most-watched entertainment moments.
The track itself was released in May 2026 as part of the official tournament soundtrack, blending electronic pop, Latin rhythms and Afrobeats percussion. The collaboration also made history for Lisa, who became the first Thai artist to play such a prominent role in a World Cup opening event.
A Nigerian thread across all three ceremonies
Rema was not the only Nigerian to feature in the World Cup’s opening run. A day earlier, Burna Boy performed “Dai Dai” with Shakira at the Mexico City ceremony, while Davido headlined the FIFA countdown concert in Los Angeles. Together, they ensured Afrobeats ran like a thread through the entire build-up.
That spread is striking. Nigerian artists appeared across the United States and Mexico legs, underlining how central the genre has become to global entertainment and how reliably it now draws international audiences.
What ‘Goals’ means for Afrobeats
The collaboration is a neat symbol of where Afrobeats sits in 2026. By fusing the genre with K-pop and Latin pop, “Goals” shows how naturally Nigerian sounds now blend with the world’s biggest musical movements rather than sitting on the margins.
For Rema, who broke through with “Calm Down,” the performance is another milestone in a fast-rising career. As the tournament continues, his appearance will stand as one more sign that Afrobeats has firmly claimed its place on the global main stage.
