Los Angeles, California - Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded after facing flak for attending the US World Cup opener instead of Canada's.
Trudeau addressed the criticism directly on Saturday as his romance with pop star Katy Perry takes off.
"Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup," Trudeau posted on X along with a Canadian flag emoji.
Perry performed her song Wonder during the opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium as the US kicked off its 2026 World Cup journey, defeating Panama 4-1 on Friday. She was joined onstage by 10-year-old Norwegian singer Tius Luka.
For the performance, Perry donned a sparkly silver dress and wore a pin featuring both the US and Canadian flags.
Afterward, videos on social media showed Perry jogging to the sidelines to meet Trudeau, who greeted her with an embrace.
The love birds were also spotted holding hands throughout the match.
Trudeau has been linked to Perry since July 2025, and of late, the two have been sharing more affectionate moments publicly.
The Canadian politician was prime minister from 2015 to 2025. He resigned in January of last year, and Mark Carney was elected as his successor.
Canada on Friday made history, scoring its first-ever World Cup point in a 1-1 tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina.