Balich explains three World Cup ceremonies in two days

Balich explains – Marco Balich, founder of Balich Wonder Studio, discusses the challenge of producing three FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies across Mexico, Canada and the United States in two days—what it took, how social media amplified every detail, and how Shakira’s return

When a World Cup kicks off, the world is watching. This time. it was watching three times—across Mexico. Canada and the United States of America—starting on Thursday and Friday in the host cities. with an estimated 1.2 billion viewers worldwide. roughly 10 times the audience of the latest Super Bowl.

Balich Wonder Studio, the Banijay Live company responsible for the shows, didn’t just produce one opening spectacle. It produced three in two days.

“It’s intense undertaking. So imagine what it’s like to produce three in two days. ” Marco Balich—founder and chairman of Balich Wonder Studio—said. speaking about the company’s work on the 2026 World Cup ceremonies. He called it a historic moment for the team. adding. “For the first time in the same year. the same live agency has created the opening of the Olympics and for FIFA.” Balich said he was “super proud” of the group’s performance. calling it “magnificent job.”.

The scale was enormous. Balich said the ceremonies brought together the work of more than 1,000 craftspeople, performers and volunteers to launch what he described as the biggest soccer tournament on record. The ceremonies also featured major musical names.

In Mexico, the line-up alongside Shakira included Andrea Bocelli, Danny Ocean, Alejandro Fernandez and Belinda. In Canada, artists included Jessie Reyez, Alessia Cara, Michael Bublé and Elyanna. In the United States, the opening celebrations featured Future, Anitta, Lisa, Rema and Katy Perry, among others.

Shakira’s return was a focal point of the Mexican ceremony. Balich said the pop star came back to the World Cup stage with a new single, “Dai Dai” featuring Burna Boy.

The payoff reached beyond show business. Balich said the production helped set up World Cup opening games to break viewership records. He pointed to the Mexico-South Africa match, saying it secured more than 20 million viewers in the U.S. across platforms in both English and Spanish.

Still, the most telling part of the challenge wasn’t the audience size. It was the clock.

Balich compared the workload to “three halftime shows in 14 hours,” plus a protocol moment—something halftime shows don’t usually include. Each ceremony featured about 300 people as a cast, and about 700 staff members across lights, moving stages, set and pyro preparation, and music operations.

In live entertainment, the hope is that everything goes smoothly. But Balich described how social media turns small problems into fast-moving stories.

“With social media, every mistake is amplified,” he said. He pointed to Toronto as an example. saying there was an issue with the trophy that stemmed from a “technical problem. ” described as a “composition of issues” the team “could not forecast.” If it were only broadcast. Balich said. the problem might have passed quickly—but he said social media made it visible immediately. He added, “We have nothing to hide.”.

Mexico City offered a different kind of risk: not a technical failure. but a moment that could become embarrassing on camera. Balich said folkloric dancers celebrating pre-Hispanic culture wore elaborate feather outfits that were “very difficult for them to walk in.” He said the possibility of someone tripping would become “the story of the day.”.

“That’s the beauty of live television,” Balich said. “It’s inevitable to have mistakes. We don’t like it but it happens.”

To connect those different performances with the host countries. Balich said the ceremonies shared “the same narrative arc”—celebrating local culture. energy and music. and celebrating the trophy—but they were presented from three different points of view. He said they leaned into different “color tones,” different “kinds of music” and different “language presentations.”.

He characterized the opening energy as “very Cumbia. Latin energetic vibe” at the start; Los Angeles as “very glitzy. shining superstar themes”; and Canada as “this very natural. earthy approach.” Balich said the teams on the ground were Canadian. Mexican and American. while Balich Wonder Studio oversaw the overall execution in support of FIFA’s vision.

Balancing star power with national identity was also part of the choreography. Balich compared it to the Super Bowl halftime show format, saying it usually features one leading artist with guest stars. Here. he said. “a sequence of really relevant artists for the region” performed in sequence. moving up and down the stage. while protocol moments—flags and national anthems—anchored the ceremonies.

Balich also credited creative direction and experience across locations. For Mexico and Canada, he thanked creative director Carlos Navarrete Patino, and for the U.S. he pointed to Jenny Koons from Vita Motus and her team. noting they come from the theater and that Balich Wonder Studio supported them with big-ceremony experience.

On the Shakira impersonator chatter—sparked by memes after “those sunglasses”—Balich said social media’s openness allows people to say whatever they want. He pushed back on the debate about authenticity, saying he would rather focus on the performance itself.

“When people start to debate if she was the real one performing or not,” Balich said, “I just abandon that kind of conversation because I’d rather focus on the fact that the performance is impactful.” He described the music she promotes as “really engaging,” adding that it’s “fun and energetic.”

He also addressed why the ceremonies didn’t simply stack everything into a single long set-piece. Balich described “the liturgy of soccer,” saying players need a warmup 25 minutes before the match. Because of those fixed slots. he said. the team had to build something before the warm-up—something FIFA started in Qatar in 2022. when Balich Wonder Studio was also responsible for the ceremony.

Mexico, Balich said, was “packed,” with people showing up to enjoy the full-scale show and see favorite players involved. In Los Angeles, he said there was a habit of people “joining very late,” but he noted the reaction was still strong.

Balich described SoFi Stadium as another key factor. He said it’s “such a fantastic stadium to perform in,” and called it “probably the best stadium I’ve worked with.” He framed it as a place that makes the theatricality of sports feel massive and real.

He even connected the work to bigger upcoming stages, saying he “look[s] forward” to what his producer colleagues will do with the Olympics.

The conversation shifted toward what’s next for Balich Wonder Studio. Balich said the company is producing the World Cup’s upcoming 4th of July celebration—part of a match hosted in Philadelphia. He called it a “very historical moment. ” and said he felt honored to try to celebrate 250 years of American growth. starting “as a collection of colonies” and becoming—he said—in many instances “the leading nation of the world. ” whether in financials. science or media.

Balich said the plan is a musical celebration of the original act of independence. and he declined to share more because FIFA would be “upset” with him. He said the “act of independence was the first milestone” in a “beautiful journey. ” and he emphasized the goal: celebration in a unified way. “not in a divisive way. ” so that people feel proud to be part of the moment.

Marco Balich Balich Wonder Studio Banijay Live FIFA World Cup 2026 Shakira Dai Dai Burna Boy Mexico City Stadium Toronto Stadium SoFi Stadium Andrea Bocelli Danny Ocean Katy Perry Future Anitta Lisa Rema Elyanna Jessie Reyez