Justin Trudeau responds to criticism over attending USA's FIFA World Cup match over Canada: ‘Supportive boyfriend’

Justin Trudeau , the former Prime Minister of Canada, on Sunday responded to criticism over his attendance at the USA's FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Paraguay. He chose to skip Canada's opening game of the tournament, and his presence at the Los Angeles Stadium raised eyebrows. However, Trudeau's attendance at the USA-Paraguay fixture wasn't surprising, as he was accompanying his girlfriend, pop star Katy Perry . Justin Trudeau responded to the criticism over attending the USA's FIFA World Cup 2026 match (Screengrab - X) Trudeau on Sunday cleared the air, saying it was just about being a supportive boyfriend, but also assured everyone that he is rooting for Canada in the 48-team tournament. It is worth noting that Perry also performed at the opening ceremony in the USA ahead of the USA-Paraguay fixture, which the USA won 4-1. Also Read: Morocco disaster is a wake-up call for Brazil: Without Neymar, the Selecao look hopeless “Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) while re-sharing the New York Times article. Canada played their opening match of the tournament on the same day as the USA. Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina played to a 1-1 draw, and this was the first time Canada had earned a point at the FIFA World Cup. During the USA-Paraguay match, cameras captured Katy Perry and Trudeau in the stands. When the US scored a goal, Perry was seen celebrating, and even the former Canadian Prime Minister was impressed by the co-hosts' performance. Trudeau and Perry go public During the first half of the game between the US and Paraguay, the duo were spotted sitting together in one of the luxury suites at SoFi Stadium, also called Los Angeles Stadium. At half-time, the Americans were leading 3-0 after two goals from striker Folarin Balogun and a Paraguayan own goal. Canada's match in the FIFA World Cup began at 12:30 AM IST, while the USA's opening game began at 6:30 AM. As soon as pictures and videos of Trudeau in Los Angeles went viral, the Canadians started slamming the former Prime Minister for skipping his own country's World Cup opener. Earlier this month, Trudeau and Perry also made their official red carpet debut as a couple. It all happened at the Tribeca Festival’s world premiere of ‘Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour’ in Paris. The pair held hands, shared kisses, and also stood up together to dance during the film’s closing performance of ‘Firework’ at the OKX Theatre in New York. Speaking of the FIFA World Cup, the 48-team competition began on June 11 with Mexico vs South Africa. Canada will next face Qatar on June 18, and the USA will face Australia on June 19.