The FIFA World Cup 2026 has announced that Tom Cruise will join a star-studded pregame closing ceremony.
The ceremony will take place ahead of the final match at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19, and celebrate the 48 teams’ journey across the three host countries and 16 host cities throughout the tournament.
The Top Gun star will make a special appearance during the show, which will feature performances from Italian singer-songwriter Laura Pausini, Pussycat Dolls member Nicole Scherzinger, English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams and YouTube star and streamer IShowSpeed.
EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson will also deliver a special rendition of the United States national anthem ahead of the final.
“Echoing the spirit of the opening ceremonies, which welcomed the world to the greatest stage in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the closing ceremony will bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 full circle through music, culture and football, before we kick off the highly anticipated match that will crown the champions of this groundbreaking tournament,” said Heimo Schirgi, chief operating officer of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
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The closing ceremony will begin 90 minutes before kickoff at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Earlier this month, FIFA announced that Canadian pop star Justin Bieber will take part in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show on Sunday.
Bieber joins Madonna, Shakira and BTS as co-headliners for the first-ever World Cup final halftime show, bringing together some of the world’s biggest artists for the celebration.
Nigerian singer Burna Boy will also appear during the 11-minute broadcast, alongside Gustavo Dudamel, the internationally acclaimed Venezuelan conductor, and the Webby Award-winning PS 22 Chorus featuring Coldplay.
“When it comes to what the world needs, there is nothing more important than education. We are proud to have Justin Bieber joining Madonna, Shakira and BTS to co-headline the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and our mission to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children around the world,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.
In May, FIFA revealed that the final will include the Super Bowl-style performance.
The governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising US$100 million to help children access education and soccer.
Infantino said it would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.”
“Through this initiative, US$1 from every @fifaworldcup 2026 ticket sold will go directly towards helping young people learn, grow and play,” Infantino added. “Every child should have the opportunity to dream, and together we can help make that possible.”
Shakira is no stranger to the World Cup. She performed at the opening ceremony in South Africa in 2010 and recently released the World Cup’s official song, Dai Dai, featuring Bruna Boy.
The show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who announced the news in a video with Sesame Street’s Elmo.
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