# Tom Cruise, IShowSpeed Set to Star in World Cup Closing Ceremony Ahead of Championship Match
Soccer’s biggest stage is about to get a jolt of Hollywood glamour and internet stardom all at once. FIFA has unveiled the entertainment lineup for the World Cup 2026 closing ceremony, and it includes an unlikely pairing of A-list actor Tom Cruise and viral streaming sensation IShowSpeed, alongside a roster of internationally known musicians.
The festivities are scheduled for Sunday at ,New York New Jersey Stadium, beginning at 1:30 p.m. local time, approximately 90 minutes before kickoff of the World Cup final., The ceremony will serve as the final send-off for a tournament that has captivated audiences across three countries throughout the summer.
## A Star-Studded Sendoff
FIFA confirmed that ,Tom Cruise will make a special appearance during the pre-match festivities, while IShowSpeed, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robbie Williams are all scheduled to perform as part of the show’s entertainment lineup., While the organization has kept specifics under wraps, the pairing of a Mission: Impossible icon with a Gen-Z streaming phenomenon underscores just how far FIFA has gone to make this closing ceremony appeal to every generation of soccer fan.
Adding to the star power, ,Jennifer Hudson will perform the U.S. national anthem ahead of the final, which will be shown on FOX and Telemundo in the U.S with a 3PM ET kick-off., Hudson brings serious pedigree to the moment — the singer and actress ,boasts the coveted EGOT title with an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.,
This won’t be Cruise’s first time closing out a global sporting spectacle. The actor previously ,thrilled fans at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony by abseiling from the roof of the Stade de France, and as part of the handover to Los Angeles, descended into the stadium, grabbed the Olympic flag, and sped away on a motorcycle., Given that daredevil track record, speculation is already swirling about whether Cruise will attempt another audacious stunt on soccer’s biggest stage.
For IShowSpeed, the closing ceremony appearance represents the culmination of a whirlwind tournament. ,The YouTube sensation has become one of the tournament’s most recognizable personalities, attending matches across the United States, appearing on FOX’s Watch With: World Cup 2026, interviewing players and celebrities, and generating countless viral moments throughout the competition.,
## Celebrating a Historic Tournament
FIFA World Cup Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi framed the closing show as a bookend to the celebration that kicked off the tournament weeks ago. “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,” Schirgi said.
The ceremony arrives at the conclusion of what organizers are calling a landmark edition of the tournament. ,Expanded to 48 teams for the first time, the 2026 edition has been staged across 16 host cities in three countries, setting attendance and viewership records while introducing the sport to millions of new fans.,
## Halftime Show and Trump’s Attendance Add to the Spectacle
The closing ceremony isn’t the only entertainment headline surrounding Sunday’s final. The match will also feature soccer’s first-ever World Cup halftime show, a lineup boasting ,Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin for the first-ever halftime performance at a World Cup Final., Shakira is also expected to headline that performance, giving fans a jam-packed afternoon of entertainment sandwiched around the championship match itself.
Adding another layer of significance to the day, President Donald Trump is expected to attend the World Cup final in person and present the championship trophy to the winning nation’s captain — a moment that will further elevate the political and cultural weight of the tournament’s conclusion on American soil.
## The Road to the Final
While the entertainment lineup has been finalized, the two teams that will actually compete for the trophy remain undecided. Semifinal matchups are set to determine the finalists this week: France and Spain will battle in Dallas on Tuesday, while Argentina and England face off in Atlanta on Wednesday. Stars like Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi and Harry Kane are all still fighting for a chance to lead their nations into Sunday’s championship match.
Whichever two teams emerge victorious will take the field at New York New Jersey Stadium for a final that promises to be as much a cultural moment as a sporting one, with Cruise’s daredevil reputation, IShowSpeed’s viral energy, and Hudson’s powerhouse vocals setting the tone before a single kick is taken. For DFW soccer fans who watched France and Spain battle it out in Dallas, Sunday’s closing spectacle offers a fitting, larger-than-life conclusion to a World Cup that has already rewritten the record books.