Katy Perry performs with Tius Luka during the Parade of Nations before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
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Minutes before the 2026 World Cup U.S. opening ceremony began last week, the field at Los Angeles Stadium (the unbranded name for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California) was just a field.
All of a sudden, a team of people unfurled a massive sheet-like covering for the field that completely covered the grass where the U.S. Men’s National Team would face off against Paraguay on Friday night. Then, small stages were brought out to center field atop the sheet. Finally, a giant replica of the World Cup trophy began inflating on the stage to create a majestic backdrop for what would become a concert starring Katy Perry, LISA, Anitta, Rema, Tyla and Future, as well as national anthem performances from Dan + Shay and Purahei Soul.
On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie tells Keith (and listeners!) about what it was like to be inside the stadium for the opening ceremony, thanks to an invite from Michelob ULTRA, as well as USA’s opening win against Paraguay.
Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” debuts straight in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking a rare chart-topper from a Disney animated feature. Plus, Drake dominates for a fourth week atop the Billboard 200 — but can he make it five? Olivia Rodrigo might have something to say about that, as her new album dropped last Friday. Finally, Katie recorded today’s show from her trip to the Disney Aulani resort on Oahu for the Moana live-action film junket, and we talk all about the new Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned song “Along the Way” from the new movie.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)