A singer and rapper who rose to prominence with the K-pop group Blackpink, Lisa is on the star-studded lineup of artists set to take to the stage in tonight’s World Cup opening ceremony in Los Angeles.

Ahead of the U.S. national team’s first game of the 2026 finals, Lisa is to deliver the first live rendition of her new single “Goals”, performed in collaboration with Brazilian singer Anitta and Nigerian artist Rema.

Created for this summer’s men’s World Cup, “Goals” was released in May, as part of the international tournament’s official soundtrack album. The song “draws from Latin pop, Afrobeats and K-pop - sounds that have helped define the direction of global music”, says world soccer’s governing body.

Who is Lisa?

Born and raised in Thailand, Lisa has enjoyed major success as a member of the South Korean group Blackpink, a K-pop outfit whose records have included three top-10 hits on the U.S.’s Billboard 200 chart. Most notably, Blackpink’s second studio album, Born Pink, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2022.

Although a Thai native, Lisa learned Korean after relocating to South Korea in 2011, and also speaks English and Japanese. The youngest of Blackpink’s four members, the 29-year-old allies her vocals with eye-catching dance moves.

“It is the ‘focused camera’ recordings of Lisa’s dancing, a combination of smooth body rolls, sharp hits and captivating facial expressions, that often become the subject of Blackpink’s viral videos,” Time’s Kat Moon wrote in 2019.

In 2025, Lisa released her debut studio album as a solo artist, Alter Ego, making it to No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

And in addition to singing, rapping and dancing, Lisa - whose full name is Lalisa Manobal - has accrued major acting credits. In early 2025, indeed, she appeared on season three of HBO’s black-comedy smash The White Lotus, which was set at a luxury wellness resort in Thailand.

Lisa a World Cup history-maker

At today’s ceremony at SoFi Stadium, where co-hosts USMNT kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign with a group-stage clash against Paraguay, Lisa will make tournament history. She will become the first Thai artist, and the first female K-pop artist, to perform at an opening ceremony at a World Cup.

Alongside Lisa, Anitta and Rema, the pre-game event in California will also feature major artists such as Katy Perry, Future and Tyla.

A multi-opening ceremony World Cup

This evening’s opening ceremony is one of three at the World Cup in North America: there is to be a curtain-raising event at each of the co-hosts’ first games.

Before Mexico beat South Africa in yesterday’s tournament opener, Colombian pop icon Shakira was among the performers at the Estadio Azteca; and ahead of Canada’s World Cup kickoff today, acts such as Alanis Morisette and Michael Bublé will be performing at Toronto’s BMO Field, where the Canucks take on Bosnia-Herzegovina.

What time is the USMNT vs Paraguay opening ceremony?

The World Cup’s U.S. opening ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET today, Friday, June 12. Ninety minutes later, at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET, SoFi Stadium will then host the USMNT’s matchday-one clash with Paraguay.

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