A Canadian woman’s reaction to Nora Fatehi’s performance at the FIFA opening ceremony (Source: X)
A video clip from Canada sparked controversy after a woman criticized the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in Toronto, questioned the presence of artist Nora Fatehi and said that she was disturbed by the presence of Indians at the ceremony and that the event did not reflect Canadian culture.The clip shows a Canadian woman’s reaction while watching the opening ceremonies of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at BMO Field in Toronto, where Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi was part of the entertainment lineup. The moment went viral on social media.Nora Fatehi is a Canadian-born artist of Moroccan origin who mainly works in Bollywood. She performed her song SIIR SIIR alongside DJ Sanjoy and French singer Vegedream during a Toronto concert on June 12.
The performance was part of FIFA’s multi-country opening celebrations in Mexico, Canada and the United States.In viral footage, the woman questioned the decision to display such displays during the Canadian portion of the global event. “How is this opening ceremony going?” she asked while responding to the broadcast.The woman was seen wearing a red shirt and a black baseball cap. She said she didn’t think the performance represented Canada.
“Can someone please explain to me what Canada’s opening ceremony was like?” she said.She continued, “Last time I checked, we are Canadians. We are not Indians. This is not English. We do not speak Punjabi. We are not Indians. This is Canada. How is this opening ceremony going?”The comments sparked reactions online, with many netizens pointing out that Nora Fatehi is not Indian, but rather a Canadian-born artist of Moroccan origin who later built her career in the entertainment industry in India.One user replied: “This is Nora Fatehi, a Bollywood celebrity who was born and raised in Toronto (Jane and Finch) and later moved to Mumbai. Her ethnicity is Moroccan.”
The controversy came as the 2026 FIFA World Cup marked the first time the opening ceremonies were split between three host nations, with separate events in Mexico City, Toronto and Los Angeles.In Mexico City, the opening at Estadio Azteca saw Shakira and Burna Boy perform the national anthem Die Die, along with appearances by J Balvin, Mana, Belinda, Lila Downs and Alejandro Fernandez.
The BMO Field event in Toronto was titled “Cultural Mosaic” and included performances by Alessia Cara, Michael Bublé, Nora Fatehi, and Figedream. In Los Angeles, the event at SoFi Stadium was attended by Katy Perry, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Anita, Future, Rima, and World Cup Ambassador Jason Sudeikis.The viral backlash comes amid controversy in Canada over immigration, identity and rising incidents of anti-South Asian sentiment. In recent months, cases of verbal abuse against Indian-origin workers in public have been reported, including incidents where individuals were told to “go back” to their country. Other clips showed Indian couples being harassed in public using racist slurs.
