Soccer Fans Split Over Katy Perry as 2026 World Cup Opening Headliner

Soccer fans voiced strong reactions after organizers named Katy Perry as headliner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.

The 41-year-old singer got the announcement on Friday, May 8. Pop Crave posted the news on X, where comments showed a divide in the soccer community.

Many criticized the choice. One user wrote, "I honestly think they could've picked someone better." Another said, "On behalf of the football community we don’t know Katy Perry." A third asked, "What songs will she be performing, this World Cup is proving to be a disaster!"

A fourth commented, "she doesn’t have any current hits so what is she going to sing?? Roar?? Wide awake?? The one that got away? Last Friday night?"

Some fans defended Perry and pointed to her 2015 Super Bowl halftime show. "Yo Katy Perry headlines the World Cup opener at SoFi. I love that," one wrote. "She brings huge energy to the field. Will she drop Firework or Roar during the set? I need to see the full lineup now. This gets me pumped for June."

Another said, "Katy Perry headlining the 2026 World Cup opening at SoFi is huge. June 12 gonna be iconic." A third added, "My goat she totally deserved it."

Perry rose to fame in 2008 with her number-one hit "I Kissed a Girl." Her 2010 album "Teenage Dream" featured songs like "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework" and "E.T."

She released her last album, "Smile," in 2020 and has put out a few singles since.

Last month, actress Ruby Rose accused Perry of sexual assault at a Melbourne nightclub 20 years ago. Rose, known from "Orange Is the New Black," made the claim on social media.

Australian police launched an investigation. "Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) detectives are investigating a historical sexual assault that occurred in Melbourne in 2010," a Victorian Police representative told Fox News Digital. "Police have been told the incident occurred at a licensed premises in Melbourne’s CBD. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Perry's representative called the claims "categorically false." "The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous, reckless lies," the representative told Fox News Digital. "Ms. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named."