My Moment of Magic Performing At The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023

Article by Riya Mehta, Auckland United FC U13s

Hi. My name is Riya and I'm going to write about my amazing experience performing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup opening ceremony.

It was such a privilege to be a part of something so special and I am very proud of it.

This performance took a lot of practice and effort to put together.

We practised every weekend for 6 weeks and It took a lot of dedication.

We got to learn a cool dance routine, and I was involved in holding the fabric for the Stingray (Wharepo). I was on the tail end!

The whole thing was coming together nicely, and it looked amazing.

Time flew by and before we knew it the time had come for us to head down to Eden Park.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Opening Ceremony, Eden Park, Auckland.

The big day had finally arrived and I had butterflies in my stomach from all the excitement. I was going to be performing in front of over 40 thousand people that night.

We all got ready and headed towards the entrance to the field. It was finally happening, and all of a sudden we heard an announcement in our earpieces calling us in. "3, 2, 1 Go!"

We ran out onto the field with thousands of people cheering us on. I performed and danced my heart out, what an amazing experience, I felt like a superstar.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we even made it on TV for thousands of people to view. I felt great and what made this moment even more special was because I got to do this whole experience with my mum by my side.  

Riya and her mum at Eden Park ready to perform at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Opening Ceremony.