What to know
- The giant World Cup trophy prop appeared to deflate during the opening ceremony at Toronto’s BMO Field.
- Social media users roasted the mishap, with many joking about Canada’s economy and the empty seats.
- Some fans defended the ceremony, saying technical glitches happen and praising the musical performances.
- Canada opened its World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A giant World Cup trophy prop was meant to help kick off Toronto’s first-ever FIFA Men’s World Cup match. Instead, it became meme material.
During Friday’s opening ceremony at BMO Field, viewers noticed the oversized trophy prop appeared to partially deflate while performers took the stage, prompting a wave of jokes online. Many Canadians tied the mishap to broader frustrations around affordability, ticket prices and the country’s economic outlook.
On Friday, Canada played against Bosnia at Toronto’s BMO Field for the first FIFA Men’s World Cup game in the city. At first glance, Canadians noticed many empty seats and during the opening ceremony, the giant FIFA trophy prop started deflating.
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During Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna and Moroccan-Canadian superstar Nora Fatehi’s headlining performance, the trophy prop started deflating and having mechanical issues.
Canadians immediately ran to the comments to roast the situation.
“Worst stadium and worst props. Stadium was empty. Embarrassing really,” one Instagram user wrote.
“Stadium was empty because they were charging 5 million dollars per ticket even if you can afford a ticket why would you lol,” another added.
But some users were defending the country, saying Canada’s financial situation is currently just difficult.
“This actually represents the current situation of the country accurately. No hate pls we are just poor & getting worse,” one wrote.
“Leave us alone! We are in a recession!” another commented.
Another called the FIFA World Cup the “FIFA World flop.”
But others commented on the positive vibes at the ceremony.
“The song was fire thooo,” one Instagram user wrote.
Another defended that it was just one bad moment.
“Whatever, sh*t happens. It’s not that big a deal,” the user said.
How was the ceremony otherwise?
X user Mario Nawfal called the opening ceremony “unforgettable” with two powerhouse artists.
🇵🇸🇲🇦 Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna and Moroccan-Canadian superstar Nora Fatehi headlined Canada’s historic ceremony and absolutely owned the stage.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 13, 2026
2 powerhouse artists. One unforgettable performance.
Writer: Valpic.twitter.com/veISPLwgJU
Despite the online jokes, many attendees praised the atmosphere inside BMO Field and the significance of the moment, as Toronto hosted its first-ever FIFA Men’s World Cup match.
Videos of the deflating trophy and reactions from the crowd brought laughter and judgement to the situation, while others argued it was just a technical mishap.
The opening ceremony featured live performances with dancing and singing from well-known performers before Canada’s match, marking the beginning of Toronto’s first FIFA World Cup game as the host city.
