Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and singer Nicole Scherzinger will headline a glitzy World Cup closing ceremony at MetLife Stadium on Sunday before the World Cup final kicks off.
Scherzinger will be joined by Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini for a ceremony that FIFA says will pay tribute to all of the competing 48 nations from the tournament.
Justin Bieber is also performing a halftime show alongside the likes of Madonna and Coldplay in an increasingly star-studded occasion a few miles outside of Manhattan.
Influencer IShowSpeed, famous for being a Cristiano Ronaldo superfan, is also slated to appear while Cruise’s specific role is unclear, with FIFA only describing it as a ‘special appearance’. Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will also perform a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, the United States national anthem, before the game begins.
FIFA have also called for those fans lucky enough to have a ticket to the game, staged just outside of New York, to arrive early to participate in the ceremony. Gates will open at 11am local time, four hours before the game itself begins.
That might provide an array of logistical issues, though. President Donald Trump is also expected to attend, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino saying he and Trump will hand the World Cup trophy to the winning team together.
Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Cruise will headline the World Cup closing ceremony on Sunday
It means that airport security will be in place around the stadium and fans can expect longer queues to pass through the checks before being allowed inside.
Trump’s attendance has caused chaos in the past at the US Open tennis final in Queens and the NBA Finals in Manhattan when the New York Knicks faced San Antonio Spurs. Admittedly, both venues were working with a lot less space than what MetLife Stadium has to offer.
‘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,’ FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
Shakira kicked off the competition over a month ago in Mexico City, while respective opening ceremonies were also held in Canada – with Michael Buble performing – and in the US with Katy Perry the headliner.
As for the game itself, the first semi-final is held on Tuesday afternoon between Spain and France – most people’s favorite to win the competition on Sunday.
England face fierce rivals and defending champions Argentina in the second game in Atlanta, with Lionel Messi bidding to reach his second straight World Cup final.
Whoever advances, the showdown promises to involve two heavyweights as the last four teams standing are also the top four in FIFA’s world rankings.
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