Tom Cruise and Robbie Williams ignite World Cup final ceremony

The MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey buzzed with excitement as American actor Tom Cruise and British singer Robbie Williams headlined the closing ceremony of the 2026 World Cup final. The event preceded the championship match between Argentina and Spain.

Before the national anthems, Cruise addressed the crowd, emphasizing football's power to unite people and transform strangers into fans. World Cup champions Mario Kempes and Andrés Iniesta then presented the trophy that the two finalist teams would compete for.

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how it unites people and makes strangers become fans.

The ceremony featured a diverse lineup of performers. Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winner Jennifer Hudson delivered a special rendition of the U.S. national anthem. Later, Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini, and Nicole Scherzinger performed their song "Desire." The show also included performances by Post Malone and content creator IShowSpeed, who sang "Champions."

American tenor Christopher Macchio performed "America the Beautiful" against a backdrop of iconic New York imagery projected onto a massive tarp covering the field. The spectacle continued with a parade of flags from all participating nations, the presentation of the starting lineups for Argentina and Spain, elaborate choreography, and a dazzling light and pyrotechnics show before the teams entered the pitch. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin announced the introduction of a halftime show, promising a collective performance with the audience, featuring artists like Shakira, Madonna, BTS, and Justin Bieber. The entire production was managed by Balich Wonder Studio, an Italian company known for orchestrating major events.

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For the first time we will have a halftime show, we are all going to sing together, as a collective.