Tom Cruise to join star-studded 2026 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony
The closing ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup just got bigger.
FIFA announced in a press release Tuesday that it has added Tom Cruise to its closing ceremony lineup, set to be held Sunday, ahead of the 2026 World Cup Final.
The "Top Gun" star will make a special appearance, joining a star-studded list of performers.
Also taking the World Cup stage for the closing ceremony are Italian singer-songwriter Laura Pausini, American singer and actress Nicole Scherzinger, English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, and YouTube creator IShowSpeed.
EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson will also help kick off the 2026 World Cup final with a special rendition of the U.S. national anthem.
"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," Heimo Schirgi, chief operating officer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said in a statement shared in the press release.
The closing ceremony will begin 90 minutes before kickoff at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
It will be held at New York New Jersey Stadium (known outside the tournament as MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, capping the first men's World Cup to feature an expanded 48-team field and to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Earlier this month, FIFA announced Justin Bieber as a co-headliner for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show alongside Madonna, BTS and Shakira.
The halftime show will also include performances by singer Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus, which is the acclaimed choir of 4th and 5th graders from a public elementary school in Staten Island, New York. Coldplay will also perform.
Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the final halftime show and it will be produced by Global Citizen.
The tournament kicked off June 11 in Mexico City and included an opening ceremony featuring performances from Shakira, Burna Boy, Maná, J Balvin, Belinda and Tyla.
Separate star-studded opening ceremonies were also held that week in Toronto and Los Angeles before the first whistle was blown.
