Elyanna, a 24-year-old singer born and raised in Nazareth, took the stage at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada on Thursday night, performing alongside Canadian artist Jessie Reyez on “Illuminate,” one of the tournament’s official soundtrack songs.
The performance took place at Toronto’s BMO Field ahead of Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Wearing an outfit that blended multiple cultural influences, Elyanna delivered a high-energy set featuring dynamic choreography and a powerful vocal performance. International media coverage noted that she is the only artist of Middle Eastern or North African descent featured on FIFA’s official soundtrack.
Born Elian Amer Marjieh on January 22, 2002, in Nazareth, Israel, Elyanna grew up in a Christian Israeli family in the country’s largest Arab city.
Music played a central role in her life from an early age. Her maternal grandfather performed Lebanese folk poetry known as zajal, while her paternal grandmother, a Chilean pianist, helped shape the diverse cultural influences that would later define her artistic identity.
Elyanna takes FIFA’s opening ceremony
She began singing at the age of seven and drew inspiration from artists including Umm Kulthum, Sabah Fakhri, Beyoncé, and Aretha Franklin. In 2017, at age 15, she moved with her family to the United States, first settling in San Diego before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue an international music career.
After arriving in the US, she was discovered by Canadian producer Nasri Atweh, signed with Universal Arabic Music, and developed a distinctive sound that blends Arabic music with pop, R&B, and Latin influences. She describes the style as “experimental Arab pop.”
Elyanna has since achieved a series of breakthrough milestones. In 2023, she became the first artist to perform a full Arabic-language set at the Coachella music festival. She has also appeared alongside Coldplay and performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In 2024, she released her debut album, Woledto, which translates from Arabic as “I Was Born.”
She frequently highlights her Palestinian-Chilean identity, referring to herself as “Your Pali girl.” Her upbringing to Nazareth remains a defining part of her story — the city where she grew up, found her voice, and first dreamed of performing before a global audience.
The song “Illuminate,” which she co-wrote with Reyez, who has Colombian roots, blends English and Arabic lyrics. Its message of cultural connection and shared identity closely mirrors Elyanna’s own background and artistic journey.
Her performance at the World Cup opening ceremony attracted widespread attention on social media and formed part of a broader celebration of cultural diversity. The event also featured appearances by Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara, and several other performers.
