Lineup of Global Celebrities Will Enliven the 2026 World Cup Final

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final is confirmed to deliver far more than just a fierce on-pitch battle: it will also host a star-studded entertainment spectacular. Hollywood actor Tom Cruise and singer Jennifer Hudson are set to be part of the event lineup at the New York New Jersey Stadium, United States, on 19 July 2026 local time.

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Cruise will appear in a special presentation prepared by FIFA to celebrate the climax of the world's largest football tournament. Meanwhile, Jennifer Hudson has been granted the honour of performing the United States national anthem before the match commences.

The atmosphere for the 2026 World Cup final is being designed to match the standard of world-class global entertainment events. FIFA aims to deliver an experience on par with the Super Bowl or Olympic Games, uniting sport, music and culture on one grand stage.

Alongside Tom Cruise and Jennifer Hudson, the pre-match closing ceremony will also feature performances from Italian singer Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and YouTube content creator IShowSpeed.

FIFA has also confirmed that spectators will not act only as passive audience members. All fans inside the stadium will be directly involved in multiple segments of the event, so attendees are advised to arrive well ahead of kick-off.

"This closing ceremony will conclude the journey of the 2026 FIFA World Cup through music, culture and football, before the highly anticipated match that will crown the champion of this historic tournament," stated 2026 FIFA World Cup Chief Operating Officer (COO) Heimo Schirgi.

The grand scale of the event does not stop at the pre-match proceedings. For the first time in history, a FIFA World Cup final will also feature a dedicated halftime show during the match interval.

FIFA, in partnership with Global Citizen, has prepared an 11-minute performance that blends music, football and social messaging, broadcast to millions of viewers across the entire world.

An elite lineup of artists is confirmed for the halftime show. Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber will act as the headline performers on the spectacular 2026 World Cup final stage.

Additionally, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus will also perform alongside Coldplay in this show, which is projected to become one of the biggest entertainment moments in global sporting history.

This halftime show is not created purely for entertainment. FIFA and Global Citizen have integrated it as part of a social campaign under the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which carries a total fundraising target of 100 million US Dollars.

These funds will be used to expand access to education and football programmes for children across multiple nations. One funding source will be a 1 US Dollar donation allocated from every single 2026 FIFA World Cup match ticket sold.