Among the 43,000 on hand to witness the first-ever FIFA World Cup game in Canada on Friday were Canadian celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Mike Myers, Will Arnett and professional athletes such as NHL star Connor McDavid, NBA player Dillon Brooks and Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse.
Notably absent from the Canadian men’s national soccer team’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium was former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Rather than witness Canadian sports history, the 54-year-old opted to attend Team USA’s opening match against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, a veritably star-studded affair for which Trudeau’s pop star girlfriend Katy Perry was paid to sing the national anthem.
“Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup,” he wrote on X with a Canadian flag emoji.
Perry, a California native from Santa Barbara, wore a long silver sequin gown that looked more like the Stanley Cup than the gold-plated World Cup trophy as she performed her song Wonder during pregame performances. After, she was seen scurrying off the field straight to Trudeau’s arms.
As part of her attire, she wore a pin of the Canadian and U.S. flags side-by-side.
“See this little thing right here,” she said in an Instagram video, gesturing toward the pin and winking before walking away to take Trudeau’s hand.
“It’s not just a pin, it’s a lifestyle,” she turned to add.
Katy Perry wore a Canada-U.S. flag pin during her performance at the L.A. 2026 FIFA World Cup opener on Friday night in Inglewood, Calif.
She also stuck the pin through one of her earring holes at one point.
The pair were later spotted in one of the luxury suites during the first half of the match, both standing to applaud as the U.S. scored three goals. (They would go on to win 4-1.)
Canada’s game began at 3 p.m. EST, while the U.S. played at 9 p.m. EST.
Also missing from Canada’s opener Friday was Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had already left on a previously scheduled trip to Europe ahead of next week’s G7 summit in France.
“All of Canada is with you — to the final whistle,” he wrote on X.
Representing federal officials were Adam Van Koeverden, Canada’s Secretary of Sport, Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne, and new Governor General Louise Arbour.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wished the men’s side luck on X.
“The whole country is cheering you on. Go Canada Go!”
Trudeau and Perry have been romantically linked since first being spotted dining at a Montreal restaurant during her tour stop in the city. After months of speculation and sightings, the pair made it official when they were seen leaving a Paris cabaret show in October.
It’s the second time this week Perry and Trudeau’s appearance together made headlines, the first coming Monday night in New York City, where they attended the premiere of her Lifetimes Tour movie at the Tribeca Film Festival.
In what’s billed as their first red-carpet appearance as a couple, Perry and Trudeau were full of smiles and public displays of affection.
In one of the edited videos circulating online, Trudeau moves in close, puts his arm around Perry and locks eyes with her as they pose for paparazzi photos, looking into her eyes.
When he places his right hand on her stomach, she immediately moves it away, leaving Trudeau to pull back and smile sheepishly to the cameras.
The perspective changes to show the couple from the red carpet up, with Perry’s hand on his chest and Trudeau’s hand firmly resting on her behind, and he proceeds to give his partner another smouldering gaze.
In a red-carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight, Trudeau said he’s already seen the show three times, “but really wasn’t paying attention to anything but Katy.”
“So I’m looking forward to seeing the show now for the first time,” he said with a laugh.
During the Q’n’A portion of the screening, Perry told the audience she is “very in love,” per ENews.
“Actually, that show,” she said, referring to the Paris performances that comprise the film, “was after I met the love of my life, and so I felt very anchored by that.”
“What a special night. Huge energy on screen, huge energy in the audience,” Trudeau wrote on Meta social media channels Tuesday, along with a pair of photos.
“So happy to be by your side, Katy,” the 54-year-old added with a heart emoji.
Perry, in response, commented: “it’s Katheryn to you, baby.”
The same snaps also appeared in the 41-year-old musician’s social media slideshow from the event and while her beau was not mentioned in the caption, his son Xavier commented on his father.
“He’s a pretty fresh guy,” the 18-year-old wrote.
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