FIFA confirmed Tuesday that Tom Cruise will make a special appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2026 World Cup final, joining a lineup that includes singers Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams as well as YouTube personality IShowSpeed.
The ceremony will unfold July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium, better known as MetLife Stadium, beginning 90 minutes before kickoff at 1:30 p.m. ET. FIFA has not detailed what role Cruise will play, but the actor has a track record of turning these moments into spectacle. At the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, he rappelled from the roof of the Stade de France, grabbed the Olympic flag and rode off on a motorcycle as part of the handoff to Los Angeles, which hosts the Games in 2028.
Jennifer Hudson will sing the U.S. national anthem before the match, organizers said. Heimo Schirgi, chief operating officer for the 2026 World Cup, said the ceremony aims to bring the tournament “full circle through music, culture and football” after opening festivities that spanned the three host nations of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The closing show adds to what is already shaping up as the most heavily produced World Cup final in the tournament’s history. FIFA is staging the first-ever halftime show at a men’s World Cup final, with Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and the K-pop group BTS headlining alongside Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel and a chorus of New York City schoolchildren performing with Coldplay.
The 11-minute set is expected to push the traditional 15-minute halftime break toward 30 minutes, a departure from standard match protocol. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the final and present the trophy to the winning team.
The championship match will pit the winner of Tuesday’s Dallas semifinal between France and Spain against the winner of Wednesday’s Atlanta matchup between England and Argentina. It marks the first time since FIFA began ranking national teams in 1992 that all four semifinalists come from the top four spots in the world rankings, and the first World Cup final for an expanded, 48-team tournament format.
Cruise is set to star next in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film “Digger,” expected later this year.
