2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico: Memes and funniest reactions

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico had fans talking long before kickoff. From viral jokes to unforgettable posts, social media wasted no time turning the spectacle into meme material.

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By Ariadna Pinheiro

Updated on June 11, 2026 03:05PM EDT

**© Luke Hales/Getty Images**Performers dance during the Opening Ceremony ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico delivered exactly what fans expected from soccer’s biggest stage: star power with artists like Mana and Belinda with Los Angeles Azules, emotional tributes and unforgettable visuals.

But while FIFA was busy launching the tournament in front of a global audience at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca), social media users were staging a spectacle of their own, transforming nearly every moment into meme-worthy content.

From Shakira‘s highly anticipated appearance and Burna Boy‘s performance to the elaborate staging and crowd reactions, viewers on X, TikTok and Instagram wasted no time sharing jokes and hot takes.

Memes and reactions of the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony

No one does it better than Latinos #WorldCup2026FIFA #SomosMéxico pic.twitter.com/wX1FWODYf8
— ☁️ (@readycloud_) June 11, 2026

This is the best opening ceremony in years , DO YOU HEAR THAT CROWD??? #WorldCup2026FIFA pic.twitter.com/OMfKi5jDic
— ☁️ (@readycloud_) June 11, 2026

Depression has left my body due to the World Cup starting today!
Let’s freaking go!!!!!!!!!!!! #WorldCup2026FIFA pic.twitter.com/O5WMhfCJAI
— Tatiana (@Tatianaclinares) June 11, 2026

This opening ceremony is eating #SomosMéxico
#WorldCup2026FIFA pic.twitter.com/sYn76wnhXn
— ♡ alex ☁️ (@alexeder_) June 11, 2026

PTDRRR MAIS ELLE A ZÉRO BUZZ CETTE CEREMONIE DE CDM !!! 👎👎👎👎#WorldCup2026FIFA
— Thörkelson 📣🇻🇪🔥🇵🇸📢🇨🇩🔥 (@Leftist_Legend) June 11, 2026

Labubus made an appearance during the opening ceremony 😂🤣🤣#WorldCup2026FIFA pic.twitter.com/vpfyAveMnA
— Tatiana (@Tatianaclinares) June 11, 2026

Pathetic audio peacock #WorldCup2026FIFA pic.twitter.com/INJH53T0Ca
— DX XD (@Daniel265853924) June 11, 2026

Shakira aging like fine wine , that woman just keeps getting more fine 😩 #SomosMéxico #WorldCup2026FIFA
— ☁️ (@readycloud_) June 11, 2026

Ariadna Pinheiro

Ariadna is a multisport journalist specialized in delivering key, high-value information across competitions, including tournament formats, rules, lineups and injury updates, while also producing evergreen content. Her career in journalism began in 2021 at Indie Emergente, a digital music magazine, where she honed her skills in writing and reporting. In 2023, she expanded her expertise by contributing to Spoiler Latinoamerica, creating general culture content, before joining Spoiler US in 2024 to focus on entertainment coverage. With almost six years of experience across different media outlets, Ariadna has developed strong expertise at the intersection of sports and entertainment, covering live events such as Super Bowls, FIFA World Cup opening and closing ceremonies, Olympic Games and UEFA Champions League finals, bringing depth, accuracy and real-time insight to her reporting.