Actor Tom Cruise delivered a speech calling for unity on the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium on Saturday, headlining the 2026 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony minutes before the final between Spain and Argentina.
The pre-match show, which opened with gold tracksuit-wearing drummers, featured a slate of musical performances. Jennifer Hudson sang the U.S. national anthem, while Robbie Williams was joined by Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini to perform the official FIFA anthem "Desire". Streamer IShowSpeed performed his track "Champions," and Post Malone played "Chrome Heartbreaker" before teaming with Swae Lee for "Sunflower."
The ceremony capped a tournament staged across three host nations, preceding an 11-minute half-time spectacle featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, and Coldplay's Chris Martin.