Highlights
- Tom Cruise set for “special appearance” at 2026 World Cup closing ceremony
- Ceremony hits MetLife Stadium Sunday, July 19, before the final
- Cruise previously rappelled off Stade de France roof at 2024 Olympics
Tom Cruise just added another huge stage to his résumé, and this one’s got 82,500 seats.
FIFA confirmed Tuesday that the Top Gun star will make a “special appearance” at the 2026 World Cup closing ceremony, joining a genuinely wild lineup that includes Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and streaming sensation IShowSpeed.
The ceremony goes down Sunday, July 19, 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium — better known to literally everyone as MetLife Stadium — kicking off 90 minutes before the World Cup final.
FIFA didn’t spill details on what exactly Cruise will be doing, but if his last major sports cameo is any indication, fans should probably keep their eyes on the roof. At the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony, Cruise rappelled from the top of the Stade de France, grabbed the Olympic flag and sped off on a motorcycle as part of the handoff to LA. The man does not do a casual wave-and-walk-off.
Jennifer Hudson, who’s got the full EGOT, will handle the U.S. national anthem before the final kicks off.
FIFA’s chief operating officer, Heimo Schirgi, framed the whole thing as a full-circle moment for the tournament. “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.
This year’s World Cup is already historic — the first with an expanded 48-team field, co-hosted across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. And Sunday will mark the tournament’s first-ever halftime show, packed with Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS.
As for the closing ceremony itself, FIFA is promising fans won’t just be watching. The organization said the show is meant to “celebrate the 48 teams’ unforgettable journey,” and encouraged ticketholders to show up early since fans “will have an active role to play in the show”.
Cruise, for his part, has already been a fixture in the stands this tournament. Now he’s got the mic — or maybe a harness.
