Nora Fatehi kicked off the FIFA World Cup in Canada with a grand opening ceremony

The scoreboard at Toronto’s BMO Field hadn’t even lit up before kickoff, but the stadium was already rocking to a massive home beat. Local girl-turned-global Bollywood icon Nora Fatehi took center stage on Friday night, officially kicking off the Canadian leg of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an explosive opening ceremony.

The Canadian-born artiste of Moroccan descent marked her homecoming with the debut of her official FIFA anthem, Siir Siir, a high-octane track co-produced with collaborators Vegedream and Sanjoy. The vibrant song reflects her own multicultural identity, effortlessly blending Moroccan Darija, Arabic, French and English into a single rhythmic tapestry.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: LIVE UPDATES

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

The title of the anthem is directly borrowed from the famous Moroccan football chant, which translates to “go, go”. Fatehi explained that she chose this specific hook in hopes that it would become a universal rallying cry that would unite diverse fan bases around the world regardless of which country they were supporting this summer.

The game’s street-level roots heavily inspired the project, with the track’s music video shot entirely on location in Morocco. The visuals consciously focus on neighborhood kids playing street soccer and capture the raw journey of how soccer evolves from dusty local streets to the world’s most glamorous mega-arena. Nora Fathei performed at Toronto Stadium. (Photo: Reuters)

WHAT IS NORA FATEHI’S CONNECTION TO CANADA?

To understand why this performance was so deeply personal, you have to look at Fatehi’s roots. Born and raised in Canada to a Moroccan family, she absorbed the multicultural energy of Toronto before deciding to leave home at just 22 to try her luck in the cutthroat entertainment industry in India.

Against all odds, she conquered Bollywood to become one of its most recognizable faces and a definitive dance superstar. While she’s no stranger to sport’s biggest stages, having previously performed at the Qatar 2022 World Cup closing ceremony, returning to her hometown as a major global headliner felt like a full-circle moment in front of the community that raised her. Nora will join Shakira and Burna Boy as the stars of the World Cup opening ceremony. (Photo by Reuters)

NORA FATEHI JOINS THE LIST OF STARS AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP

Fateh’s mind-blowing performance officially added her name to the impressive list of music superstars who rule the pop culture side of this extended tournament. FIFA has gone all out for this historic multi-country event and prepared a massive 18-track official soundtrack featuring some of the biggest names in the world music industry.

Indeed, the musical celebrations kicked off 24 hours earlier at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, setting the bar very high for the rest of the tournament. Colombian pop royalty on Thursday nights Shakira headlined the star-studded show alongside Afrobeats heavyweight Burna Boy, reggaeton star J Balvin and South African singer Tyla just before Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa.

While Shakira and Burna Boy got the party going in Mexico with their collaborative track Dai Dai, Fatehi is successfully holding down the northern front in Toronto. With the opening ceremony over and the anthem played, the stadium microphones are finally traded for referee whistles as football takes over.

Football World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | football news

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

13 Jun 2026 0:10 AM IST