Cruise and Hudson join Super Bowl-style World Cup final show

FIFA has added Tom Cruise and Jennifer Hudson to the lineup for the first-ever World Cup final halftime show on 19 July. They join previously announced acts including Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber. Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger and YouTube personality IShowSpeed will also perform.

The entertainment spectacle will precede the final match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Spain will face either England or Argentina after beating France 2-0 yesterday. Hudson is set to perform the US national anthem, while Cruise is booked for a "special appearance".

The absence of France from the final underscores a broader shifting focus for the tournament's climax. As European football powerhouses drop out, the off-pitch spectacle is taking centre stage.

The introduction of a sprawling halftime show represents a deliberate shift by FIFA to import the American sporting event model. By stacking the interval with global pop stars and Hollywood actors, the governing body is treating the football match as one component of a broader entertainment product.

For European football stakeholders, this Americanization signals a change in how the sport's flagship tournament is monetised. European leagues have historically relied on the uninterrupted rhythm of the game to drive broadcast rights and sponsorship deals. FIFA’s pivot suggests it believes maximum global revenue now lies in appealing to the broader entertainment market.

Cruise’s involvement follows his stunt at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony, where he rappelled from the stadium roof to hand the Olympic flag to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Heimo Schirgi, COO of FIFA World Cup 2026, framed the upcoming ceremony as a cultural culmination.

"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," Schirgi said.

FIFA confirmed that fans inside the stadium will have an "active role to play" in the show and urged attendees to arrive early. Whether European football purists will embrace this heavily choreographed interruption to the biggest match in the sport remains to be seen.