Image source, FIFA via Getty Images- Published19 July 2026, 19:09 BST
The 2026 World Cup closing ceremony has kicked off with a performance from streamer IShowSpeed, who took to the field alongside drummers and dancers in vibrant tracksuits.
Rapper and singer Post Malone followed, performing his hit song Wow.
More than 80,000 fans, celebrities and foreign dignitaries are expected to pack New York New Jersey Stadium for Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina.
Multi-award-winning singer and actor Jennifer Hudson sang the US national anthem, accompanied by a live band, ahead of kick-off.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jennifer Hudson sings the national anthem before the match
The star-studded pre-match entertainment is also expected to bring in actor Tom Cruise alongside singers Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger.
Image source, FIFA via Getty ImagesImage caption, Post Malone performs during the closing ceremony
Italian singer Pausini told the BBC's Carl Nasman that she's "very excited" and "proud" to be performing alongside Williams and Scherzinger at the closing ceremony.
"When Robbie [Williams] invited me to sing with him, I felt goosebumps everywhere because Robbie's one of my favorite singer, songwriter, and performer," Pausini told the BBC.
The celebrity line-up will continue at half-time with performances by Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS.
Madonna, the best-selling female music artist of all time, is set to perform after the launch of her new album, Confessions II, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in July.
Bieber also returned to the spotlight earlier this year, with his biggest live performance in four years at the Coachella music festival after cancelling his Justice world tour because of health issues.
Image source, Getty ImagesColombian pop star Shakira and Nigerian musician Burna Boy will reunite on stage after performing together at the tournament's opening ceremony in Mexico City last month.
Their collaboration, Dai Dai, has been a global chart hit and has been a fixture in stadiums throughout the tournament.
K-Pop group BTS will also perform after making their comeback from a three-year music hiatus to complete their mandatory military service in South Korea. The band is currently in the midst of an 85-date world tour.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Swae Lee performs during the closing ceremony
The half-time break is expected to last 20-25 minutes, with Fifa saying the Super-Bowl-style performance will take 11 minutes.
It has been curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and will raise money for the Fifa Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100m (£73m) for children worldwide.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Marine One - carrying US President Donald Trump - flies over the stadium ahead of the match
Related topics
How the World Cup made an 'NFL-obsessed' American a football fan
- Published2 days ago
The financial winners and losers from the World Cup
- Published2 days ago
