Anitta talks about the emotion of opening the 2026 World Cup: "Indescribable"
Being one of the artists chosen to participate in the opening ceremony of the World Cup can be considered a milestone in any musician's career. For Anitta, the experience gained even more meaning when representing Brazil in one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.
The artist was among the musical attractions of the 2026 World Cup, whose competition began this Thursday (11). This Friday (12), the voice of "Mandinga" took to the stage at the opening ceremony promoted by the United States, the country hosting the match against Paraguay. The presentation took place about an hour and a half before the start of the match, scheduled for 10pm (Brasília time).
Alongside the Brazilian, who is also a Beats ambassador, Katy Perry, Future, Lisa, Rema and Tyla took to the stage at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
In exclusive quotes given to CNN Brasil, the singer commented on the emotion of participating in the event and detailed the feelings experienced when taking the stage in front of a global audience.
"It was incredible! The energy in the stadium was contagious and indescribable. I am extremely happy and honored to be able to represent our country in such a big event. I also loved the tribute paid by Beats and having a number 10 shirt of my own. "Now I'm ready to cheer and celebrate" said Anitta, Head of Innovation and Creativity at Beats.
As a form of recognition, the artist received a personalized number 10 shirt, developed especially for the occasion.
World Cup: Anitta takes the stage at the opening ceremony in the USA - Credits: Beats
Celebration spread across host countries
The 2026 World Cup began with a series of musical performances distributed among the tournament's three host countries. The program began on Thursday (11), in Mexico, which hosted a big opening party at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City. The event brought together artists of different styles and nationalities, including Shakira, Burna Boy, Belinda, Danny Ocean and J Balvin, shortly before the Mexican team's debut against South Africa.
This Friday (12), Canada also promoted its own celebration to mark the start of the competition on Canadian territory. The show took place at BMO Field, in Toronto, and featured names such as Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Michael Bublé, William Prince, Vegedream, Sanjoy, Nora Fatehi and Jessie Reyez. The presentations were made approximately 90 minutes before the match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Afterwards, the United States hosted its opening ceremony, which had Anitta among the attractions responsible for entertaining the public before the confrontation between the North American team and Paraguay.
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Source: CNN