The FIFA World Cup 2026 closing ceremony brought music, film and online entertainment to New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19, before Spain defeated Argentina in the tournament final.
Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, IShowSpeed and Post Malone were among the featured names in the pre-match programme. Actor Tom Cruise addressed the crowd, while Jennifer Hudson performed the United States national anthem.
The ceremony began at approximately 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 90 minutes before the scheduled 3 p.m. kick-off at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It marked the final day of the first men’s World Cup staged across three countries and contested by 48 teams.
Who performed at the World Cup closing ceremony?
Italian singer Laura Pausini, American performer Nicole Scherzinger and British pop star Robbie Williams appeared together during the ceremony. The performers delivered “Desire,” a song associated with the 2026 World Cup soundtrack.
Post Malone was one of the notable additions to the lineup announced shortly before the final. He performed “Wow.” and introduced new material before Swae Lee joined him for “Sunflower,” their 2018 collaboration.
American streamer IShowSpeed participated as a digital entertainment personality closely associated with online football culture. His inclusion reflected FIFA’s attempt to connect the traditional stadium production with younger audiences who follow the sport through livestreams and social media.
Tom Cruise made a special appearance and delivered a speech celebrating football’s international reach. His role was separate from the musical performances.
Jennifer Hudson then sang the US national anthem as the programme moved from the closing celebration to the match. Hudson is an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner. Her anthem performance formed part of the pre-match presentation rather than the main musical set.
Closing ceremony and halftime show were separate events
The pre-match closing ceremony should not be confused with the first official World Cup final halftime show, which took place after the opening 45 minutes of Spain’s match against Argentina.
Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber co-headlined the halftime production. Burna Boy, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic, the PS22 Chorus and characters from the Muppets were part of the wider performance.
The halftime show was curated by Martin and produced by Global Citizen. It represented a significant change from earlier World Cup finals, where the interval generally remained focused on match analysis and preparations for the second half.
FIFA’s decision created two distinct entertainment blocks: a closing ceremony before kick-off and a separate show during halftime. The artists were therefore divided between different parts of the final-day programme.
What happened after the ceremony?
Spain beat defending champion Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win its second men’s World Cup. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute after the teams completed regulation time at 0-0.
The result gave Spain its first men’s title since 2010. It also made the country the first nation to hold the men’s and women’s senior World Cup trophies at the same time.
A review of the complete FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule shows how the competition progressed from the opening match in Mexico City on June 11 to the final in New Jersey on July 19.
After Spain secured the trophy, FIFA confirmed the tournament’s leading individual honours. The FIFA World Cup 2026 award winners included Rodri with the Golden Ball, Unai Simón with the Golden Glove and Pau Cubarsà as Best Young Player.
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A record-setting 48-team tournament
The final completed a 39-day competition involving 104 matches across 16 stadiums in Canada, Mexico and the United States. FIFA reported total attendance of 6,810,966 and 308 goals across the tournament.
The expanded field made the 2026 edition substantially larger than the 32-team World Cups held from 1998 through 2022. It was also the first edition jointly hosted by three countries.
The closing ceremony was produced in partnership with Balich Wonder Studio, a company known for major international ceremonies and live events. The programme recognised the journey of all 48 teams before attention moved to the two finalists.
Adding a major pre-match ceremony and a dedicated halftime production turned the final into a longer entertainment event as well as the tournament’s championship match.
The official FIFA tournament report confirms Spain’s victory, the record attendance and the performers featured in the halftime show.
Note: Details have been taken form the official website of FIFA
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