With two days to go before her FIFA World Cup debut, BLACKPINK's Lisa is signaling she is ready. Rehearsal footage circulating on social media shows the Thai-born K-pop star running through her moves at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles ahead of the June 12 opening ceremony — and the reaction from fans has been immediate.
The significance of the moment stretches well beyond the spectacle. Lisa will become the first female K-pop artist and the first Thai performer ever to appear at a FIFA World Cup opening ceremony. She joins a short list of Korean acts to reach this stage: BTS member Jungkook performed at the 2022 Qatar World Cup opener, where he debuted the official anthem "Dreamers." Lisa's appearance at the LA ceremony marks only the second time a Korean artist has featured in a World Cup opening show.
Her path to this stage has been one of accelerating global visibility. Earlier this year, Lisa drew widespread attention with a headline solo set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and she was recently named to the host committee for the 2026 Met Gala — the first K-pop artist to hold that position. The FIFA slot now adds a third major milestone to what has become a defining year in her solo career.
At the LA ceremony, Lisa will perform "Goals" live for the first time alongside Brazilian singer Anitta and Nigerian artist Rema. Released on May 21 as part of the 18-track Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album — the most expansive music project in tournament history — "Goals" is a cross-genre collaboration blending Latin pop, K-pop, and Afrobeats, produced by Grammy-winner Cirkut and Brazilian duo Tropkillaz. Rema has also arrived in Los Angeles ahead of the rehearsals, and the full SoFi Stadium stage setup is reported to be in place.
The approximately 13-minute LA performance will also feature Katy Perry, Tyla, and Future. On TikTok, where her account has surpassed 28 million followers and 400 million likes, Lisa posted a short clip with the caption "See you soon" — a direct signal to her global fanbase that she is counting down the hours.
The LA ceremony is the third and final chapter of what FIFA has structured as a trilogy of opening shows across its three co-host nations. The celebrations opened on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where Shakira and Burna Boy gave the tournament's official song "Dai Dai" its live premiere. Canada's turn came the following day in Toronto, with Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette, and Alessia Cara headlining a ceremony that leaned into homegrown talent.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the broader ambition behind the multi-nation format as using music and culture to demonstrate the unity at the heart of the World Cup. The tournament concludes with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, where BTS, Madonna, and Shakira are scheduled to headline the halftime show — a pairing that would place K-pop at both the opening and closing bookmarks of the biggest World Cup in football history.