Why is nobody performing the United States national anthem before USMNT vs Belgium at the 2026 World Cup?
Fans expecting a celebrity performance in Seattle will be met with a more traditional World Cup pregame ceremony instead.
In the U.S., sports fans have become used to artists, some bigger than others, performing the American national anthem at major sporting events, from the NBA Finals and the World Series to the Super Bowl. The 2026 World Cup, however, isn’t following that formula.
A star-studded start in Los Angeles
Ahead of the USMNT’s opening World Cup game against Paraguay in Los Angeles, stars including Katy Perry, Lisa and Future headlined the third of the tournament’s three opening ceremonies before country music duo Dan + Shay performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before kickoff.
The three-time Grammy winners were joined at SoFi Stadium by Paraguayan group Purahéi Soul, which performed the pregame anthem for the USMNT’s South American opponents.
Grateful to live in this beautiful country 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/bHhJ0Ih4rK
— Dan + Shay (@DanAndShay) July 4, 2026
Back to World Cup tradition
Before the second group-stage game against Australia in Seattle, however, no performers were booked to sing either national anthem. And this was also the case ahead of the USMNT’s subsequent games against Turkey, on matchday three of the group phase, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the round of 32.
This is the standard format for most World Cup matches and international games in general. Exceptions were made only for the opening matches involving the tournament’s three host nations: the United States, Mexico and Canada.
USMNT chasing quarterfinal berth
After beating Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last 32, the USMNT has now advanced to the round of 16, where it faces Belgium tonight. Mauricio Pochettino’s men take on Les Diables Rouges at Seattle’s Lumen Field, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
Victory over the Belgians would send the USMNT into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, with either Spain or Portugal awaiting in the last eight.
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