Trudeau Defends Skipping Canada's 1-1 World Cup Opener for Perry's USA Performance
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 14
Trudeau Defends Skipping Canada's 1-1 World Cup Opener for Perry's USA Performance
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 14
Summary
“Boyfriend duties call,” Justin Trudeau wrote after criticism over missing Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto to attend the USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Hours-separated opening matches let the former Canadian prime minister watch Katy Perry perform at the U.S. game, where cameras later showed the couple kissing, drinking beers and sitting together in the stands.
Online backlash followed quickly, with some Canadian users calling the move “a slap in the face” and branding Trudeau a “traitor” and “fraud” as clips spread on social media.
Trudeau and Perry have been publicly linked since July 2025 and confirmed their relationship on Instagram in December, making the World Cup appearance their latest high-profile public outing.