Michael Bublé set the stage for Canada’s World Cup kickoff in Toronto, creating an electrifying atmosphere on Friday night. The event reached a poignant crescendo with Alanis Morissette’s stirring rendition of the national anthem, “O Canada,” performed in front of thousands of fervent fans.
The streets of downtown Toronto were alive with a festive spirit as throngs of supporters gathered and marched to the stadium earlier in the day, their excitement building as the highly anticipated kickoff approached.
As the crowd settled in for the first of six matches hosted by the city, festivities began with an artist ceremony helmed by William Prince, setting the tone for the evening. Singer Jessie Reyez entertained the audience with her performance next to a massive model of the World Cup trophy, further heightening the excitement.
Amid this vibrant atmosphere, Michael Bublé made a grand entrance just before the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina commenced. Flags representing each team in the tournament were paraded onto the field, setting the stage for Bublé, who stood in the center circle and captivated the audience with his 2022 hit “Bring It On Home To Me.”
The allure of the World Cup was such that even the typically media-shy Alanis Morissette took the spotlight, delivering her moving version of “O Canada” to the delight of the assembled fans, marking a memorable start to the tournament.
Violinist Aleksandar Gajic, meanwhile, performed the anthem of Canada’s opponents.
Michael Buble performs moments before Canada started their World Cup campaign
The 50-year-old took to the field minutes to headline his country’s World Cup party
The ceremony started with William Prince headlining an artist ceremony at the stadium
Jessie Reyez also took to the field, performing around a giant World Cup trophy
Canada are World Cup hosts for the first time, seeking their first ever win in the tournament
Thousands of Canada fans marched to the stadium from downtown Toronto on Friday
Canada fans were in the party mood ahead of the team’s opening game of the competition
Canada, hosts of the tournament for the first time, headed into the game desperately looking for their first ever win in the competition.
The team is considered Canada’s ‘golden generation’, spearheaded by star striker Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies – the latter unfortunately absent from the opening game due to injury. It was a terrible start, though – they fell 1-0 down after 21 minutes through a header by Jovo Lukic.
It was Shakira who, 24 hours earlier, lifted the curtain on the tournament with a star-studded performance at Mexico’s iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City for the very first game of the biggest World Cup ever.
It set the tone for a successful start by another one of the co-hosts, with Mexico cruising to a 2-0 victory against South Africa in a game that saw three players sent off.
There was also trouble outside the stadium, with protestors fighting with riot police outside the venue.
The Daily Mail witnessed the carnage unfold, as protesters – some reportedly made up of the families of those missing in the Mexican drug war – attempted to breach the stadium and were forcibly pushed back by police. A man had a heart attack outside the venue in an unrelated incident.
Just 10 minutes before the start of the Mexico-South Africa tournament opener, hundreds of demonstrators approached the grounds from the north-east side, attempting to enter the stadium’s inner ring.
They threw flares and rocks at officers and smashed a lorry parked nearby. Riot police were quickly deployed and pushed the demonstrators back up the road, firing tear gas and throwing rocks back in the process.
The excitement was ramping up before the first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Shakira wowed fans with her performance at the opening ceremony in Mexico Thursday
Protesters attempt to breach the Mexico City Stadium but are stopped by a line of riot police
A demonstrator waves a stick in front of riot police during violent scenes outside the stadium
There was no sign of the same trouble marring events in Canada on Friday afternoon as Buble’s glitzy performance got underway, following in the footsteps of pop icon Shakira.
Remarkably, Fox – the host broadcaster in the United States – skipped the majority of Buble’s performance – only showing a shorter to American soccer fans. They made the same move for Shakira’s show in Mexico, too.
Later on Friday, the tournament finally begins on American soil when the USA team meet Paraguay in Los Angeles.
That opening ceremony is headlined by Katy Perry – who is dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – while hip-hop star Future will also feature.
Canada’s team, meanwhile, will play Qatar in the second game next Thursday in Vancouver.
They’ll round off the group stage against Switzerland on June 24.