The traditional sound of Sinaloan music will come to Mexico City’s Zócalo to enliven the World Cup festivities, featuring its foremost representative: Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga.

The iconic group will perform in the country’s main public square as part of the FIFA Fan Fest on Thursday (June 11), following the match between Mexico and South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca).

Known as “the mother of all bands,” the legendary group “will ignite the Zócalo with its energy, tradition and unmistakable rhythm,” announced a presenter in a FIFA video posted Monday (June 8) on social media, without specifying the time of the show. The group will headline one of the first musical events of the festival at the Plaza de la Constitución (the official name of the Zócalo), aiming to bring national and international fans together through soccer, music and local culture.

Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga joins a list of international stars like Chayanne, Enrique Iglesias, Grupo Firme and Imagine Dragons, who will perform at the FIFA Fan Festival 2026 in Monterrey, another host city for the World Cup in Mexico, alongside Mexico City and Guadalajara.

The Zócalo is considered an emblematic and highly significant location, as it is a square filled with symbolism where politics, social movements, culture and religion converge. It is the second-largest public square in the world, second only to Tiananmen Square in Beijing. International artists such as Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Grupo Firme have performed there in front of thousands of people — some even declaring that it was the “biggest” show of their careers, as was the case for Spanish star Rosalía and New York band Interpol.

This past March, Colombian superstar Shakira became the artist to draw the largest audience for a free concert at the Zócalo, gathering 400,000 attendees.

This story is part of Billboard’s Global World Cup Series, a collection of 11 cover stories which pairs top soccer stars across the world competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with highly-touted musicians in accompanying countries.

Ryo Miyaichi signed with England’s Arsenal at 18, went on to gain experience at clubs across Europe and now plays for Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos. The 33-year-old footballer’s perseverance through repeated injuries, returning to the pitch time and again with the support of his fans, has captured the hearts of many.

FANTASTICS member Sota Nakajima has been watching Miyaichi play on television since elementary school. The 26-year-old member of the LDH boy band once aspired to become a footballer himself, but a medical circumstance forced him to let that dream go. He continued to excel at futsal, and he now puts his extensive knowledge to work as the host of a football program.

While they excel in different areas, both share the ability to captivate audiences on the big stage. Meeting for the first time, the two hit it off immediately and spoke with Billboard Japan about the role music plays in sports and more.

Nakajima: I used to watch you a lot when you were playing abroad, so today still feels unreal to me. What got you into football in the first place?

Miyaichi: I actually started playing football during my elementary school days to build the leg strength I’d need for baseball but ended up becoming a footballer instead. I was selected for the U-17 national team in my second year of high school. Watching players my age like Neymar and [Granit] Xhaka at the World Cup made me want to compete on that same stage.

Nakajima: I was seriously pursuing football from elementary school too, but in my third year of junior high school, a doctor told me I couldn’t expose my eyes to UV light for long periods of time. I had to give up football and switched to futsal.

These days, during performances, I’m always thinking about positioning, lyrics, watching for any part of the crowd that isn’t fired up and figuring out how to bring them in. My experience playing central and offensive midfielder positions turns out to be useful there. (Laughs.) When I had to stop playing football, EXILE’s music carried me through.

Miyaichi: For me it was DREAMS COME TRUE’s “Nandodemo.” With so many injuries, rehab becomes this relentless grind of monotonous work and it’s hard to stay motivated. That line in the song, “maybe something will change on the 10,001st try,” got me through more tough moments than I can count. Making it back like this and then scoring a goal or seeing the team win — that’s when I know all that rehab was worth it. I came close to quitting after some of the serious injuries, but I’m so happy that I’m still playing football professionally.

Nakajima: I feel the same. Being able to work as an artist at LDH is something I’m deeply grateful for. I’ve looked up to EXILE since I was a student and they were always my goal. Who was your football hero?

Miyaichi: It has to be Cristiano Ronaldo. His time at Manchester United — I couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing. He’d step over the ball again and again out of nowhere and I’d be like, how many stepovers can a man do? But that’s exactly what made him so cool. I copied everything, from how he wore his kit to his boots. Ronaldo was absolutely my role model.

Nakajima: What does a typical day look like for you?

Miyaichi: Team training starts at 10 in the morning, so I get to the training ground about an hour and a half early to prepare. We train from 10 to roughly noon, two hours at the most. After that I have lunch, do some gym work, get a massage, and I’m usually out of the training ground by around 3. Then I head home and wind down. I’ve been into Pilates lately, so I’ll go to a session occasionally. We push ourselves so hard in those training sessions that there’s nothing left in the tank. You can’t do much else after.

Nakajima: What do you usually do when you’re traveling?

Miyaichi: Listen to music, read, watch films. Everyone does their own thing. I also watch baseball and football. I’ve been keeping a close eye on Arsenal this season — they’re in good form, and I’m hoping they can go all the way.

Nakajima: I’m a big fan of Désiré Doué and Nuno Mendes, so I watch a lot of Paris Saint-Germain matches. You signed with Arsenal at 18. How do you see the recent wave of young Japanese players heading overseas?

Miyaichi: More players are going to Europe young these days, and I want them to do it at their own pace, without rushing. It’s easy to compare yourself to others, but what matters is focusing on your own growth. Back then, I didn’t really think of myself as young. There were so many world-class players around my age, and I was always feeling pressed. If I could go back and talk to my 15-year-younger self, I’d say, “What are you rushing for? You’re young.”

Nakajima: When [former Arsenal manager] Arsène Wenger spotted you in that training session, were you going in thinking, “I’m going to prove myself”?

Miyaichi: It was like stepping inside a game of Winning Eleven. My trial was right after the 2010 World Cup — Robin van Persie was there, Nicklas Bendtner, Alexandre Song. Players I’d only ever seen on TV were right there in front of me. The feeling that I’m actually jumping into this world hit me, and I loved every minute of it.

Billboard Japan: Now that you’ve gone from chasing dreams to being someone others look up to, what do you keep in mind?

Miyaichi: I think having fun is the most important thing. It’s what fuels your growth, and I grew up watching my seniors play with obvious joy, so I want to be an adult who still loves what he does. I still have the desire to keep improving and still feel the same way I always did. And it’s a profession that only exists because people show up to the stadium, so delivering an exciting match matters just as much. Showing people something that makes them think is cool on the pitch is what I’m there for. The day that’s no longer expected of me might be when I should consider retiring.

Nakajima: I want to be an artist like the sun. Turning negativity into positivity feels like what I was made to do, and as long as there are people willing to come along with me, I’ll keep singing.

Billboard Japan: For singers and artists, the profession is sustained by the people who engage with your work. How do you think about your relationship with supporters?

Miyaichi: Our fans and supporters are there for us every match — home, away, even following us overseas and everywhere in between. Every time I play, I carry the feeling that I need to perform well for them and bring them a result worth celebrating. Harsh words come with the territory, but I think criticism is part of what it means to be a professional footballer. A senior I respect once told me, “A plane can’t fly without a headwind, so criticism is necessary to keep flying.” That really hit home for me. When I’m criticized, that’s when I think, “This is my moment to rise.”

Billboard Japan: Maybe that clash of passionate feeling and the emotion it produces is why people around the world are so captivated by football.

Nakajima: Because you never know how things will turn out. Even the strongest teams lose sometimes, and a single play can be enough to make someone fall in love with the game. Watching football gets me really excited, and the way athletes dedicate their entire lives to their sport is just so cool.

Billboard Japan: Music is an indispensable form of entertainment too, one that pushes people forward and moves them deeply.

Nakajima: There are songs from decades ago that still give me a boost today. The beauty of music matters, of course, but there’s no single right answer in music, and being a technically accomplished singer isn’t the whole story either. The intention to reach someone is what matters, and that’s where I found the reason to keep singing. There are things that only I can deliver.

Billboard Japan: You probably play music during training and before matches. Would you say music is essential to sport?

Miyaichi: Absolutely. It genuinely saved me during rehab. At the Marinos gym, everyone puts their own music on, and you constantly hear things like, “Who’s the DJ today? I am not feeling this at all!” Before matches, especially in locker rooms abroad, the music is at a volume that almost makes you dizzy. But that’s where the intensity builds. Whoever wrote the Champions League anthem is awesome — one note of that and you’re ready for anything.

Nakajima: No matter when you hear it, it’s so uplifting.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

The Michael Jackson biopic, Michael (2026), is available to watch online at home — thanks to an early PVOD (premium video on-demand) digital release. The story of Jackson’s life, as portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, is ready to rent or buy on video platforms, such as Amazon, Apple TV and others.

Starting Tuesday, June 9 at midnight ET, you can watch and rewatch the “Thriller” singer’s story again and again without a trip to the movies. The 2026 film has quickly amassed more than $898 million, becoming Lionsgate’s highest-grossing movie ever, according to Deadline. The flick is on pace to surpass Bohemian Rhapsody too, which took in more than $911 million in 2018, as the highest-grossing musical biopic worldwide.

On Prime Video, you can rent the Jackson biopic for $19.99, or buy it for $24.99, as a digital download. If you’ve rented Michael, you’ll have 48 hours to watch once you press play. However, if you’ve purchase the film, it will go directly to your digital video library under the “Purchases & Rentals” tab. From there, you’ll be able to watch the movie to your heart’s content, assuming you’ve bought it.

Additionally, you don’t need to be an Amazon Prime member to rent or buy Michael as a PVOD release.

However, if you’d like to join Amazon Prime, a membership costs $14.99 per month, or $139 per year. Once you’ve successfully subscribed, you’ll gain access to speedy and free delivery, unlimited streaming via Prime Video and Amazon Music and exclusive deals during all of Amazon’s special sales, like Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You can try out the service for free for 30 days if you aren’t sure you’ll like it. Sign up for Amazon Prime here.

On Apple TV, the Michael flick is $19.99 to rent or $24.99 to purchase, as a digital download. Once again, if you choose to rent the film, you will have a 48-hour window to finish watching it after you hit play. It is important to note that if you are already subscribed to Apple TV, you won’t automatically have access to the Michael movie. You will still have to rent or buy the box office hit to access it.

Meanwhile, Apple TV costs $12.99 per month, or $99 per year, after a seven-day free trial. Once registered, you’ll gain access to a slew of ad-free, high-quality Apple Originals, along with films and TV shows. You’ll be able to stream across all your Apple devices too.

Physical copies of the Michael movie are also available for preorder now on Amazon. Here’s how the pricing breaks down: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version is $34.99, the Blu-ray HD copy is $22.96 and the DVD is $19.96 (reg. $29.96), a 33% savings. All versions will be released on Tuesday (July 14).

Over the weekend, Billie Eilish and her family played pickleball for a good cause alongside Kristen Bell, Angelina Jolie and more stars.

Hosted by Support+Feed – the nonprofit founded by Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird – the inaugural event on Saturday (June 6) brought together a number of stars and like-minded members of the community to raise awareness for issues around food insecurity and the environment. FINNEAS and his fiancée, influencer and actress Claudia Sulewski, were also in attendance, as were Dax Shepard, Jolie’s son Pax, Melanie C and Zane Lowe.

The day kicked off with a smattering of games such as Uno, Ping-Pong and cornhole, with vegan and plant-based food options available to keep the players fueled up throughout the competition. After Baird addressed the group, the official pickleball tournament commenced, ending with twin national champions Ford and Boone Casady taking first place.

As seen in photos from the event, Eilish was all smiles as she took part in the games, which raised money for Support+Feed’s programs combatting climate change and hunger through plant-based food solutions, free farmers markets and educational opportunities. Since the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, the organization has also prioritized providing relief to the local community.

Suppor+Feed was present as a partner throughout Eilish’s recent Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour, and on Saturday, the Grammy winner showed up for the organization by taking part in the games. See snaps of her and other stars at the nonprofit’s very first Pickleball Invitational and Game Night Fundraiser below.