From Lena Park to BTS’ Jung Kook and BLACKPINK’s Lisa: K-pop’s World Cup journey comes full circle

Lisa, left, and Jung Kook / Xportsnews

Lisa joining the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony is drawing major attention in Korea, with many fans looking back at the rare moments K-pop artists have appeared on football’s biggest global stage.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed through his official account that Lisa will perform at the opening ceremony in Los Angeles alongside artists including Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, Rema and Tyla.

The Thai K-pop star is also reportedly preparing music for an official World Cup soundtrack with Anitta, Rema and Brazilian music duo Tropkillaz.

The announcement marks another milestone for K-pop’s growing global influence, as Lisa becomes only the third K-pop artist to perform at a FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.

Before her, Jung Kook became the first solo K-pop artist to headline a World Cup opening ceremony in 2022, performing the official soundtrack “Dreamers” alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Jung Kook’s performance was widely celebrated online at the time, with clips from the ceremony spreading rapidly across social media and helping introduce more global sports viewers to K-pop.

BTS' Jung Kook / Yonhap

The first Korean artists to appear at a World Cup opening ceremony were Lena Park and R&B duo Brown Eyes during the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

The singers performed the tournament’s local official theme song “Let's Get Together Now” alongside Japanese artists Chemistry and Sowelu.

At the time, however, Korea was one of the host countries and the opening ceremony was held in Seoul, making the inclusion of Korean artists less surprising.

Even after PSY sparked a global K-pop boom in 2012 with “Gangnam Style,” K-pop acts did not appear at World Cup opening ceremonies again for nearly two decades until Jung Kook’s Qatar performance.

Now, with Lisa set to both participate in the official soundtrack and perform at the opening ceremony, many fans in Korea see the moment as another sign of how deeply K-pop has entered mainstream global entertainment culture.

Attention is already building around what kind of stage performance and song Lisa will unveil at the tournament.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.