Among the 43,000 on hand to witness the first-ever FIFA World Cup game in Canada on Friday were Canadian celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Mike Myers, Will Arnett and professional athletes such as NHL star Connor McDavid, NBA player Dillon Brooks and Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse.
Notably absent from the Canadian men’s national soccer team’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium was former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Rather than witness Canadian sports history, the 54-year-old opted to attend Team USA’s opening match against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, a veritably star-studded affair for which Trudeau’s pop star girlfriend Katy Perry was paid to sing the national anthem.
Trudeau explains his choice
“Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup,” he wrote on X with a Canadian flag emoji.
Perry, a California native from Santa Barbara, wore a long silver sequin gown that looked more like the Stanley Cup than the gold-plated World Cup trophy as she performed her song Wonder during pregame performances. After, she was seen scurrying off the field straight to Trudeau’s arms.
As part of her attire, she wore a pin of the Canadian and U.S. flags side-by-side.
“See this little thing right here,” she said in an Instagram video, gesturing toward the pin and winking before walking away to take Trudeau’s hand.
“It’s not just a pin, it’s a lifestyle,” she turned to add.
She also stuck the pin through one of her earring holes at one point.
The pair were later spotted in one of the luxury suites during the first half of the match, both standing to applaud as the U.S. scored three goals. (They would go on to win 4-1.)
Reactions online
Social media users quickly noted the irony. One post read: “Canada hosted its first World Cup match in Toronto. Justin Trudeau chose to attend the USA opener instead. And yes, he was caught on camera jumping up to celebrate an American goal. You really can’t make this stuff up.”
