Ottawa, June 14 -- Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has responded to criticism over his decision to attend the United States' FIFA World Cup opening match to support girlfriend Katy Perry's headline performance while missing Canada's opening game on the same day.

The debate erupted after Trudeau shared a light-hearted post on X, referencing a New York Times article that noted he had chosen the US World Cup opener over Canada's first match of the tournament in June 2026.

Addressing the criticism, Trudeau wrote, "Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I'm rooting for to take the Cup" (with a Canada's national flag emoticon).

The post quickly drew widespread attention online, with reactions split between...