Katy Perry found herself at the centre of one of the funniest early World Cup moments after IShowSpeed appeared to mistake her pre-match song for the United States national anthem.
The United States opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice and Gio Reyna adding a late fourth.
It was a statement night on the pitch. Somehow, Speed still managed to create the most replayable moment off it.
Speed turns Katy Perry into the anthem by accident
In a clip shared by IShowSpeed HQ, the streamer reacted as though Katy Perry’s performance had suddenly become a full patriotic ceremony.
The only issue was that it was not the anthem. Perry had performed “Wonder” with Tius, while Dan + Shay performed The Star-Spangled Banner.
Perry’s response made the whole thing even better. She leaned into the chaos rather than killing the joke, which is usually the only correct way to deal with a Speed clip.
She said on Instagram: “I’m ok with it.”
Fans loved the chaos after USA’s historic win
Supporters were already celebrating after Mauricio Pochettino’s side produced a dominant opening performance.
The USA struck early through a Damián Bobadilla own goal, Balogun scored twice before half-time, and Reyna wrapped up the 4-1 victory in stoppage time.
That made Speed’s anthem confusion feel even funnier. On a night built around American confidence, pop spectacle and World Cup noise, he somehow turned a Katy Perry song into a national event.
Fans reacted with laughter, disbelief and the usual appreciation for Speed’s ability to make any football occasion feel completely unhinged within seconds.
USA got the win, Perry got the last laugh, and Speed accidentally gave the tournament its first great comedy subplot.
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