World Cup 2026 Closing Ceremony Start Time, Live Stream and Latest Rumors

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost at its end. Spain and Argentina will face off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday for the right to be called World Cup Champion. Roughly 90 minutes before that, fans will be treated to the closing ceremony.

The World Cup opening ceremony was a three-event affair held across the host nations of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. However, the closing ceremony will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (or New York/New Jersey Stadium for those adhering to World Cup branding regulations).

The World Cup Final, and its halftime show, will also take place at MetLife Stadium.

2026 World Cup Closing Ceremony

When: Sunday, July 19 at 1:30 p.m. ET

Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

TV and Live Stream: Fox, Telemundo, and Fox One

FIFA has done a pretty good job of keeping specifics about the closing ceremony quiet. However, we do know who fans can expect to see.

Rapper and pop singer Post Malone was recently announced as the headliner of the closing ceremony. We'll also see performances by Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robbie Williams. Streaming star IShowSpeed is also listed as a performer, while Hollywood legend Tom Cruise is set to make an appearance.

While details of Cruise's role in the closing ceremony haven't been announced, it might involve a tie-in with his upcoming movie, Digger.

Cruise, who famously does much of his own stunt work, may also look to put on a physical spectacle of some sort.

IShowSpeed is expected to perform his song "World Cup (Champions)," while Jennifer Hudson is slated to sing the U.S. National Anthem before Spain and Argentina get underway.

In many ways, we know even less about how the halftime show will look. We know that Shakira, Madonna, BTS, and Justin Bieber are set to headline a performance curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin. However, we don't know the specifics or the length of the show.

Early rumors suggested that the halftime for the final would be 30 minutes, double the mandated time for a FIFA match. However, it now looks like organizers are going for an 11-minute show and a 17-minute halftime.

What can fans expect to be crammed into that 11-minute window? We'll all have to wait and see, apparently.

"Obviously I'm not going to give anything away on the performance itself, but we've spent months and months preparing this, developing it and working with all of the artists," executive producer Guy Carrington said, per Ethan Millman of The Hollywood Reporter." It's a carefully curated performance that's going to be spectacular."

Along with the halftime-show headliners, fans can expect to see Coldplay perform with the PS22 Chorus and appearances by characters from The Muppets and Sesame Street.