The United States have marked their first World Cup on home soil since 1994 with a vibrant, high-energy opening ceremony in Los Angeles.
Southern California native Katy Perry took to the stage minutes before the players entered the pitch, after earlier performances from East Coast rapper Future and other chart-toppers.
The USA team are now facing Paraguay, after Canada debuted earlier on Friday, and Mexico saw its first match on Thursday.
The 2026 tournament is being hosted in all three countries and is set to be the largest ever, with 48 nations competing.
Also performing in LA were Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla, Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta and LISA, from the K-pop group Blackpink.
Earlier, Canada hosted its own opening ceremony in Toronto, featuring singers Alanis Morrisette and Michael Bublé, while the match in Mexico City featured featured Shakira and Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
Ahead of the game, thousands of fans headed to the Los Angeles Coliseum, including four dressed as iconic American greats Elvis Presley, George Washington, Uncle Sam and Davy Crockett.
"Los Angeles is a great city. A lot of different people. A lot of different communities," said Tommy Paun, dressed as Elvis.
The foursome said they paid $1,900 each for tickets to attend the game, adding that their seats may not be the best.
"We don't even know where we're sitting yet. We know that we paid a fortune for the tickets," said Jonny Haug, dressed as Crockett.
Dressed as Mario and Luigi, Joe Lucido and Migueli Lipari, travelled from Detroit to LA for the Team USA game.
"We spent too many coins," on tickets, they said, adding that they travelled over 2,200 miles (3,500km) to experience the atmosphere.
"We're all here for the same reason. We love soccer," Lucido said. "Doesn't matter who you, are or where you're from. We're here to have a good time and watch the most beautiful sport in the world."
Wearing Team USA jerseys, Tony Hacopian and his two daughters, Zoe and Mila, stood outside the venue hoping to find tickets in their hometown just before the game began.
"There's so much excitement," said 10-year-old Mila.
"Go outside. Wear your jersey," added her dad.
"Enjoy! This is the best time, connecting everyone from different parts of the world."
But the celebrity sighting weren't just on stage. Hollywood turned up at the stadium too, with stars Owen Wilson, Paris Hilton and Sofia Vergara in the spectator stands. Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis also took to the pitch to lead a mini-flag parade.
Earlier in the day, Canada tied in its first match against Bosnia and Herzegovina - gaining its first ever point in a World Cup.
"We've very excited. This is a long time coming," said Peter Giacobbe, a Toronto native who is attending Canada games in both Toronto and Vancouver, the country's second host city, along with his friend Robert McIntosh.
"We woke up this morning realising that this is making Canadian history together," McIntosh said.
Fans of the national Bosnian team were equally excited. Hundreds arrived to the stadium in a separate march following the Canadian fans. Some told the BBC they travelled from their home country to watch their team play in the World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Others, like Bosnian-Canadian Layla Mesic, were closer to home. Mesic was at the stadium with her Canadian mother, who donned a Team Canada jersey while Mesic proudly sported the traditional yellow and blue.
"To even qualify to the World Cup, it's a big point of pride of us," Mesic said. "Today I'm 100% Bosnian."
She added that, to her, this is a once-in-a-life-time experience. "It might have cost an arm and a leg, but I'm here."
Alanis Morissette performed the national anthem to a cheering crowd. Michael Bublé, who performed with a choir, led the fans in the stands in a rousing rendition of Bring It on Home to Me, by Mississippi soul singer Sam Cooke.
Along with Bublé and Morissette, performers for Canada's opening ceremony included Canadian singer Alessia Cara, Palestinian singer-songwriter Elyanna, and Toronto natives Jessie Reyes and Nora Fatehi.
William Prince, an indigenous artist from Manitoba, also performed.
Organisers said the list of performers was inspired by Canada's communities and "rich diversity".
Across the street from the stadium, hundreds of other fans gathered at the Toronto Fan Zone where tickets to enter were free on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Getting tickets for the actual game "wasn't even a consideration for us" because of the high cost, said Torontonian Angela Aco, who attended the fan zone celebration to cheer on Canada.
But she added it has been a great experience so far despite the heavier-than-normal traffic around the city. "It's great to see people from all over the place," Aco said. "We just role with the punches."
Her favourite part of the opening ceremony? "Oh, Bublé did it for me."
While big-name celebrities are in attendance, neither US president Donald Trump nor Canadian prime minister Mark Carney were present at either of their countries' opening matches.
Instead, US state secretary Marco Rubio represented the White House in LA.
Carney, meanwhile, is in France for a working trip ahead of next week's G7 summit. He is expected to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum also skipped her country's first game on Thursday, saying she did so in protest over the tournament's high ticket prices.
Fifa is also planning a star-studded show for the closing ceremony on 19 July, where it will host its first-ever halftime show in its near 100-year history, modelled after similar spectacles at the Super Bowl.
Headliners include Coldplay's Chris Martin, Madonna and Shakira.
The final game will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
