Katy Perry’s Friday performance at the USA vs. Paraguay match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium featured a surprise co-star: 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka, who inspired Perry’s “Wonder.”
Katy Perry didn’t just step onto the stage at SoFi Stadium on Friday night—she brought a voice with her that had been living inside her music for years.
During the pre-match entertainment for the USA vs. Paraguay match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the pop star performed “Wonder” alongside 10-year-old Tius Luka. Luka, dressed in a navy tracksuit with red and white stripes, sang the opening and closing lines of Perry’s 2024 song.
The moment sparked plenty of online chatter, mostly because it wasn’t a typical guest appearance. It was personal.
Perry later explained what was behind Luka’s spot at the World Cup in a video uploaded to Instagram on Thursday. “That little voice you’re listening to right now is Tius,” she wrote. She said Luka recorded his part on “Wonder” in 2021, when he was 5 years old. Perry added that she first heard his vocal in 2023 and was inspired to write the verses for “Wonder. ” which later appeared on her seventh studio album. “143.”.
By the time of Friday’s performance, Luka was 10—and Perry said he flew all the way from Norway to L.A. to sing the track with her at the World Cup. The Instagram video also appeared to come from a rehearsal on Thursday, with both singers walking out on the field in full costume together.
The connection between the song and the guest was clear: Luka wasn’t brought in at the last minute for the spotlight. He was the start of it.
In a performance like this, the casting choice reads like a creative bookmark: Perry’s “Wonder” debuted in 2024 with the seventh studio album “143,” but Luka’s vocal history stretches back to 2021—traveling from Norway to L.A. and then onto the 2026 World Cup stage at SoFi Stadium.
For viewers trying to catch the performance, Perry and Luka sang “Wonder” live ahead of the USA vs. Paraguay match. The match was broadcast across FOX and Telemundo, the official U.S. broadcast rights holders for the World Cup. FIFA also uploaded the pre-game performance on YouTube, and it could be found through an X video as well.
Perry wasn’t the only major name in the pre-match show. Along with her, headliners included Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema, and Tyla.
And across the opening ceremonies for the tournament, other big stars also took the stage. Those included Shakira, J Balvin, Belinda, Alejandro Fernández, Los Ángeles Azules, Lila Downs, and Danny Ocean. Canada’s ceremony featured Alanis Morissette. Alessia Cara. Elyanna. Jessie Reyez. and Michael Bublé—showing just how stacked the rollout has been as the World Cup approaches.
Katy Perry Tius Luka Wonder 2026 FIFA World Cup USA vs. Paraguay SoFi Stadium Future Anitta LISA Rema Tyla Shakira J Balvin Belinda Alejandro Fernández Los Ángeles Azules Lila Downs Danny Ocean Alanis Morissette Alessia Cara Elyanna Jessie Reyez Michael Bublé