When you can't get something right on the third try, it may be time to reassess the task or focus on more useful ventures.
That should surely be a question for Fifa, world football's governing body and the organisation responsible for running World Cup 2026.
With the tournament spread across Mexico, Canada and the US, each country held separate opening ceremonies, all with the excitement of a drab 0-0 draw. Shakira and Burna Boy headlined at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca on Thursday, Elyanna and Nora Fatehi followed the next day in Toronto, while hours later Katy Perry, Future and Tyla closed the trilogy in Los Angeles. Together, they showed how far the opening ceremony has drifted from what it was historically meant to be.
Who can forget the 1994 World Cup opening ceremony, when Diana Ross ran the length of the Soldier Field pitch in Chicago, only to miss a penalty and watch the goal collapse.
The fact an unscripted accident made it so memorable also made it feel true to life. Like football itself, even the best-laid tactical plans can fall apart in a split second.
The ceremony in Mexico City had the potential to capture the organic joy of a communal gathering centred on the world's largest sporting event. The crowd was loud, the stadium packed and the atmosphere was as vivid as the sea of green worn by Mexico fans there to see their team open the tournament.
Unfortunately, the ceremony did not harness any of that potential. There was no host or media notes to global broadcasters to explain what was going on, amid the tribal dancers, drums and a maternal, ethereal woman going around the stadium telling us we were welcome.
Shakira made her fourth appearance as part of World Cup festivals, but her song – and the official lead tournament track – Dai Dai, performed with Nigerian singer Burna Boy, seemed more concerned with sounding great on your stereo than in a stadium. Its extended Afrobeats middle section left Shakira and Burna Boy haplessly filling the space with limp choreography.
When it came to J Balvin, one has to wonder what the idea was behind having the Colombian singer enter the stadium in a papier-mache car. It was a zippy affair that left those in the stadium and behind the screen more confused than excited.
Canada's ceremony at the Toronto Stadium at least appeared to have a narrative, with mosaic imagery channelling the country's multiculturalism, including a lovely section centred on its Indigenous community. But once again, it descended into a Fifa product.
Alanis Morissette, Canada’s biggest pop export, should have been the ceremony’s headliner. Instead, she was largely confined to the national anthem, while Alessia Cara, who appears on the official soundtrack, was given the main performance slot. It made the ceremony feel less like a Canadian cultural statement and more like another piece of tournament branding.
Fortunately, Nora Fatehi and Elyanna brought some vigour with their respective performances of Siir Siir and Illuminate.
All this brought us to the final ceremony in Los Angeles. This time, the stars were there, with Katy Perry, Future and Tyla on the bill, but perhaps it was too little too late. Audiences had now caught on to the ad hoc and pre-planned nature of the ceremonies, with social media commentary immediately focusing on the empty seats in the stadium and accusing Perry of lip-syncing.
Next, we apprehensively await the Super Bowl-style performance from BTS, Madonna and Shakira, once again, for the first half-time show at a Fifa World Cup final, with the match to be held on July 19.
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The opening ceremony kicks off at Toronto Stadium in Canada. Reuters -
Performers on the pitch ahead of the match. Reuters -
Peformers with a moose puppet. Reuters -
Pyrotechnics during the show. AFP -
Elyanna performs. Reuters -
A view of Toronto Stadium during the ceremony. Reuters -
Singers Nora Fatehi, Vegedream and Sanjoy perform. Reuters -
Colourful scenes at Toronto Stadium. Reuters
So where does that leave us now? Did encroaching commercial pressures kill the fun that once gave us the sheer giddy joy of seeing Shakira and Freshlyground perform Waka Waka in South Africa, with stadiums buzzing to the sound of vuvuzelas, the plastic horns that became the unofficial soundtrack of the tournament?
Even France '98 felt special. At the opening ceremony at the Stade de France in Paris, singers Youssou N’Dour and Axelle Red, along with Jean-Michel Jarre and Tetsuya Komuro, brought a sophisticated cool to the occasion, while a massive carnival production turned the stadium into a pageant of colour and whimsy.
As for Italy '90, the majesty of the country's culture was captured at Milan's San Siro. Maestro composer Riccardo Muti led a classical performance and a mini fashion show – more than 100 models walked the runway for a global showcase featuring Italy's Valentino, alongside other fashion houses.
These events spoke about culture and international collaboration, giving us something to be entertained by and talk about, as opposed to the increasing number of corporate-run events that feel like commercial KPIs being ticked rather than a genuine attempt at a global gathering.
Fifa also now needs to answer this question: if the best argument for keeping the opening ceremony is to give an official song or an approved artist the world's attention, then should it blow the whistle on the event altogether?
But if it wants to really embody the communal values of the 96-year-old tournament, then it needs a rethink. Perhaps move it to the eve of the competition as a proper standalone event, free-to-air, globally broadcast and built around the host country. Let the event be a real curtain-raiser.
What no longer works is what is currently offered: a ceremony that wants to be a trending concert, a national portrait, a commercial bonanza and a football ritual all within 20 minutes.
Fifa needs to make it a real cultural event, or simply bench it and let the match kick off.
