World Cup 2026 final: Closing ceremony and half-time show – what to know

World Cup 2026 final: Closing ceremony and half-time show – what to know

The 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, scheduled for Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will feature two live performances: one before kickoff and another at half-time. The pre-match closing ceremony will begin at 1:30pm local time, with kickoff set for 3pm local time (19:00 GMT), according to Al Jazeera.

The match will be played at MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, which during the tournament has been temporarily renamed New York-New Jersey Stadium. The multipurpose stadium can hold up to 82,500 spectators for football matches, as reported by Al Jazeera.

FIFA, the sport's governing body, announced the closing ceremony lineup on Tuesday. The ceremony, produced in partnership with Balich Wonder Studio, is designed to celebrate the 48 teams' journey through 16 host cities across three countries, according to a FIFA statement cited by The Guardian. The show will feature performances by Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robbie Williams, as reported by both Al Jazeera and The Guardian. Additionally, streamer IShowSpeed is listed as a performer, and actor Tom Cruise is billed for a “special appearance.”

Jennifer Hudson, who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, will perform the United States national anthem before kickoff, according to both sources. Al Jazeera also reported that Post Malone is among the performers at the closing ceremony.

Half-time show

The half-time show, which FIFA is staging during the interval, will feature Shakira, Madonna, and K-pop megastars BTS, as reported by The Guardian. Al Jazeera additionally reported that Justin Bieber will join these headliners for the half-time show. The performance is expected to last about 11 minutes, according to Al Jazeera, though FIFA has not officially confirmed the duration. The half-time show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, as noted by The Guardian.

The closing ceremony and half-time show are part of a broader celebration of the tournament’s first edition to be held across three countries—Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The ceremony is being produced in partnership with Balich Wonder Studio, led by Marco Balich, who previously orchestrated the 2022 World Cup’s opening and closing ceremonies in Qatar, as reported by The Guardian.

Both Al Jazeera and The Guardian describe the performances as "unforgettable" and "groundbreaking," reflecting the expected scale of the event. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, in a statement covered by The Guardian, called the half-time show a "historic moment" for the World Cup.

As the football world awaits the final between Spain and Argentina, the focus will not only be on the match itself but also on the musical and cultural spectacle surrounding it, a moment that both outlets have described as a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.