Lisa's World Cup opening ceremony slot was just officially reported by a major NYT-affiliated outlet, making it the first concrete confirmation rather than rumor. Korean fans are celebrating it as a landmark moment for K-pop's global reach.
Korean K-pop fans are losing their minds right now — BLACKPINK member Lisa has been confirmed to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and she's headlining the Los Angeles stage. The 2026 tournament is a historic tri-nation event hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, meaning there are three separate opening ceremonies with different lineups for each host country. Lisa lands the coveted US slot in LA, sharing the bill with global pop names like Katy Perry and Michael Bublé.
The news was first reported by The Athletic, a sports media outlet owned by The New York Times, giving it serious credibility. Korean outlets like Yonhap News quickly picked it up, and within hours it was blowing up across Korean online communities — including DC Inside's Girls Planet 999 gallery, where K-pop stans were going absolutely feral in the comments.
For Korean fans, this is a massive deal. Lisa has been on a solo tear since stepping out from under YG Entertainment's umbrella, signing with RCA/Sony Music and dropping hits that have charted globally. Seeing her represent K-pop on arguably the world's biggest single-event stage — the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony — feels like a full-circle moment. The reaction online can be summed up in two characters: ㄷㄷ (whoa).