New Delhi: Actor-performer Nora Fatehi performed at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on 12 June in her hometown, Toronto. Fatehi performed the FIFA World Cup anthem ‘Siir Siir’, with music producer Sanjoy and French artist Vegedream.
In a recent interview with ABC News, Fatehi talked about the importance of returning to the city where she grew up. Reflecting on her journey, she shared that she left Toronto nearly 12 years ago with dreams of building a career as an actor, singer, and performer in India.
“I said, when I officially come back to Toronto and do something, it has to be groundbreaking. It has to be on another level,” she added. “So, imagine now it’s the World Cup opening ceremony, and I couldn’t have asked for a bigger platform.”
Multicultural music
During the interview, Fatehi discussed how her music reflects the cultures that have shaped her identity. While many of her songs are primarily in English, she consciously uses Indian elements in both their sound and visuals.
“With ‘Body Roll’, for example, sonically it sounds like an Indian song, but the lyrics are English and the melodies are English. But aesthetically, when you look at the video, with the costumes and the jewellery, they’re very Indian,” she said.
Fatehi further explained that her multicultural background continues to inspire her creative work.
“Morocco plays a big role, India plays a big role, and I just want to take that and bring it into my artistry,” she added.
The Toronto ceremony featured a lineup of internationally acclaimed artists, including Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Michael Buble, Elyanna, Vegedream and Sanjoy alongside Fatehi.
Meanwhile, a celebration in Los Angeles on the same day will feature performers such as Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, Anitta, Lisa and Rema.
The FIFA World Cup appearance marks another milestone in Fatehi’s long-standing association with global football. In 2022, she was among the performers at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is being broadcast to Indian audiences through Zee5.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)