National Anthem Before United States World Cup Match Turns Heads
On Friday night, the United States Men's National Team opened its 2026 World Cup run with a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay in Group D. But before the players could even take the field, the performance of the National Anthem stole the show.
During the pregame ceremonies for Friday night's game, country music duo Dan + Shay took to the field to perform The Star-Spangled Banner in front of the packed crowd. Needless to say, the performance was a hit.
Dan + Shay Perform National Anthem
Over the past decade, Dan + Shay have established themselves as one of country music's biggest acts.
Formed in Nashville back in 2012, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have released six studio albums together as Dan + Shay, with a seventh on the way in August 2026. They've released a number of hit songs like "Tequila," "Speechless," and "10,000 Hours" with Justin Bieber. Over the years, they've also collaborated with big-name artists like Bieber, Charlie Puth, Kelly Clarkson, Rascal Flatts, RaeLynn and Lindsey Stirling.
The duo is quite decorated when it comes to awards, too, winning three consecutive Grammys for Best Country Duo/Group Performance from 2019 to 2021.
On Friday night, Dan + Shay got a chance to add to their impressive resume as they had the opportunity to perform the national anthem ahead of the USMNT's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
'Hits Different on Home Soil'
Shortly after the national anthem was broadcast on television, Fox Sports shared a clip of the performance on social media, and it quickly went viral, racking up more than 700,000 views in just three hours.
"The Star-Spangled Banner hits different on home soil at the FIFA World Cup," Fox Sports wrote in its post on X, sharing the video.
The Star-Spangled Banner hits different on home soil at the FIFA World Cup pic.twitter.com/IQV3045JMp
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
The cameras even caught A-list actor Tom Cruise in the crowd singing along to The Star-Spangled Banner during the performance.
The performance certainly turned heads around social media, earning plenty of praise.
"This is such a beautiful moment. The entire stadium is united in singing the national anthem together," one fan wrote in a post on X.
"W performance by Dan & Shay," someone else added.
"Not so much a country fan myself however Dan and Shay have beautiful voices! Nicely done!! God Bless the USA," another fan wrote in a post.
"Casting my vote for Dan+Shay to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at every sporting event from this moment forward," someone else added.
"GOOSEBUMPS," another fan wrote.
"The fans singing this as well is just so awesome. World Cup at home hits different," someone else commented.
The goosebump-inducing performance turned out to be a good omen for the team as they went on to win 4-1 in an absolutely dominant showing.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 9:56 PM.