The ceremony took place before the kick-off at the venue officially known by FIFA as the New York New Jersey Stadium. It wrapped up the month-long tournament with a celebration of music, culture, and football. Jennifer Hudson started the event with a powerful performance of the United States national anthem. Post Malone then took the stage as the main performer. He was joined by Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and internet sensation IShowSpeed. Hollywood star Tom Cruise also made a special appearance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
FIFA World Cup Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi mentioned that the ceremony would reflect the excitement of the tournament's opening celebrations in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEchoing 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,\u201d Schirgi said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the impressive line-up before the event.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEchoing 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,\u201d Schirgi said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After the pre-match celebrations, the final was set to include the first-ever halftime show in the 96-year history of the FIFA World Cup. Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, the show was expected to feature Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS as co-headliners, along with Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, the PS22 Chorus, and Coldplay.<\/p>\r\n\r\n