The most anticipated moment of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived, as the tournament’s closing ceremony kicked off in spectacular fashion on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium, drawing a sellout crowd of more than 80,000 fans, celebrities and global dignitaries ahead of the final match between Spain and Argentina.
The ceremony opened with an energetic performance from popular streaming personality IShowSpeed, who took the center pitch alongside a cohort of drummers and dancers clad in bright, eye-catching tracksuits that set a lively tone for the afternoon. Multi-platinum rapper and singer Post Malone followed up the opening set with a crowd-pleasing performance of his chart-topping hit *Wow.*
Before the final match kicked off, Academy and Grammy Award-winning singer and actor Jennifer Hudson delivered a powerful rendition of the United States national anthem, backed by a full live band that earned a roar of applause from the packed stands. The A-list pre-match entertainment lineup continued with collaborative performances from British pop icon Robbie Williams, Italian superstar Laura Pausini, and former Pussycat Dolls lead Nicole Scherzinger. Following the opening set of performances, Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise took the stage to officially introduce the final match to the global audience.
“From every corner of the globe, we have witnessed greatness, and we have shared in moments of joy,” Cruise told the gathered crowd. “Football is a language spoken without words, a force that unites people.”
In comments ahead of the event, Pausini shared her excitement with the BBC, saying she felt overwhelming pride to share the stage with Williams and Scherzinger. “When Robbie [Williams] invited me to sing with him, I felt goosebumps everywhere because Robbie’s one of my favorite singer, songwriter, and performer,” she explained.
The star power does not end when the first half of the final concludes: an extended half-time show curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin will feature a stacked lineup of global music superstars, including Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy and K-pop phenomenon BTS, with a portion of event proceeds going to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aiming to raise $100 million to support access to education for children across the world. FIFA confirmed the star-studded half-time performance will run 11 minutes as part of an extended 20 to 25 minute half-time break, modeled after the high-production spectacle of the NFL’s Super Bowl half-time show.
Madonna, the best-selling female recording artist of all time, is fresh off the release of her latest studio album *Confessions II*, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart earlier this month. For Justin Bieber, the performance marks another high-profile stop on his return to public performance: the pop star canceled his 2022 Justice World Tour due to ongoing health issues, and made his big comeback earlier this year with a standout set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, his largest live show in four years.
Colombian global icon Shakira and Nigerian superstar Burna Boy will take the stage together for their performance, reuniting after opening the 2026 World Cup alongside one another in Mexico City last month. Their collaborative single *Dai Dai* has become a global chart hit throughout the tournament, and been played repeatedly in host stadiums across the competition. For BTS, the World Cup half-time slot comes as the group completes a highly anticipated comeback following a three-year hiatus spent completing mandatory military service in South Korea. The group is currently in the middle of an 85-date global stadium tour, making the World Cup final one of the biggest stops on their itinerary. Other performers featured in the closing ceremony included Swae Lee, who delivered a solo set early in the event.
Among the high-profile guests in attendance at the closing ceremony and final were former U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who arrived at the stadium via Marine One, which flew over the venue ahead of kick-off to the match.