Katy Perry’s ‘hideous’ World Cup dress sparks Hershey

Katy Perry discovered herself at the heart of on-line ridicule after her outfit alternative at the United States’ 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony drew widespread mockery from viewers.

The extremely anticipated ceremony unfolded on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, ahead of the marquee conflict between the USA and Paraguay. The star-studded event featured headline performances from some of the world’s largest names, including Katy, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema, and Tyla.

On X, one viewer shared a screenshot of Katy and the sweet with the caption, “Katy Perry got the Hershey kiss on.”

Another critic added, “Katy…that dress is hideous.”

While a 3rd particular person chimed in, “Katy Perry what the f–k are you wearing?!?!?!”

A fourth commenter piled on, writing, “Katy Perry’s dress at the #WorldCup opening looks like a Project Runway challenge with dollar store materials. Not even a winning one, one from the middle of the pack.”

Yet another viewer was equally unimpressed, stating, “What the hell am I watching? Who let Katy Perry dress like Christmas tinsel? Who let her sound like that? Wow, that was awful.”

One viewer did not maintain again, posting, “That Katy Perry was absolutely an abomination. And what was she wearing?”

The outfit sparked a flood of artistic comparisons on-line, with viewers likening the ensemble to every part from a UFO and an aluminum baking platter to a lampshade, the Stanley Cup, and numerous other objects. Despite the social media frenzy, the robe was in fact a high-end designer piece from Stella McCartney’s Fall/Winter 2026 assortment.

At the World Cup opening ceremony, Katy delivered a heartwarming performance alongside 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka, who carried out the music ‘Wonder.’

Katy posted a video of her and Luka on social media ahead of the performance, and said, “I heard his voice in 2023 and was inspired to write the verses for ‘Wonder’ and added it to my sixth album. Tius is 10 now and flew all the way to LA from Norway to sing this song with me.”

Rapper Future also took to the stage at the marquee sporting event, becoming a member of forces with South African artist Tyla for a duet of Game Time, the official anthem from the FIFA World Cup Official Sound Album.

On the discipline, Team USA faces a tricky challenge against Paraguay, a aspect that impressed throughout South American qualifying to safe their first World Cup berth since 2010.