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The FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Canada may have featured dazzling performances and grand visuals, but it also found itself at the centre of online criticism after several awkward moments during the event quickly went viral on social media. A technical malfunction involving a giant inflatable World Cup trophy became a talked-about moment.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Canada may have featured dazzling performances and grand visuals, but it also found itself at the centre of online criticism after several awkward moments during the event quickly went viral on social media.

The opening festivities at Toronto Stadium were packed with star power, with Nora Fatehi delivering an energetic performance alongside global artists Vegedream and Sanjoy. Canadian musicians Jessie Reyez and Alessia Cara also took the stage ahead of the Group B encounter between hosts Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, viewers online were quick to point out that several sections of the stadium appeared to have noticeable empty seats during the ceremony, an unusual sight for a FIFA World Cup opening night. Despite Toronto Stadium's expanded capacity of over 45,000 and an attendance figure of 43,002 spectators, television broadcasts showed multiple patches of vacant seats, triggering discussions and memes across social media.

Another moment that stole attention for all the wrong reasons involved a giant inflatable replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy. During the ceremony's main segment, the oversized trophy prop appeared to malfunction while being raised on the field. Part of its outer layer reportedly peeled away, exposing the inflatable framework underneath. Moments later, the structure visibly began losing air and slowly deflated before organizers removed it from the pitch.