The final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place with the last 2 teams to participate, Spain and Argentina, at New York New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey, USA.
US President Donald Trump, his wife Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance were also present in the stands to watch the world championship match.
The closing ceremony before the match was attended by Post Malone, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and IShowSpeed. Singer Jennifer Hudson performed the US national anthem, Maria Becerra also stepped onto the stage to perform the Argentine national anthem. And actor Tom Cruise participated in a special appearance.
However, many US newspapers assessed that the grand scale of the program was not well conveyed through the screen. Panorama shots revealed many empty seats as the audience continued to enter the stadium, while close-up shots made the artists look lost in the vast stage.
The fireworks effect brings vibrant colors and sounds, but the visual arrangement still cannot make the stage truly pleasing to the eye.
One of the faces "saving" the opening concert that was quite bland at the beginning was the American male streamer IShowSpeed. He stepped onto the stage to perform the song "Champions" with strong and vibrant energy.
Throughout the performance, IShowSpeed moved through many positions on the field, coordinating smoothly with the team behind and interacting directly with the vast space of the stadium.
After that, the World Cup closing ceremony only really found a highlight after Jennifer Hudson sang the American national anthem in front of a stadium that was full.
Finally, Tom Cruise appeared alone in the middle of the field in a black polo shirt. His speech reviewing the journey from 48 participating teams to the 2 teams in the final, Spain and Argentina, with the names of the 2 countries pronounced by him in Spanish, received cheers from the audience.
International media assessed that Tom Cruise's speech about solidarity was one of the most impressive moments of the ceremony.
In his speech, the star of "Mission Impossible" said: "More than 30 days ago, 48 countries started a journey. They crossed the ocean, crossed borders, crossed cultural differences. And together, they showed us why this sport belongs to the whole world.
He continued: "From the 3 co-host countries and from every corner of the world, we have witnessed the greatness, shared moments of joy, of hope and memories that we will all never forget.
Football is a language that does not need words, is the strength that connects people, turns strangers into friends and reminds us of common things that everyone shares.
Closing his speech, the 64-year-old actor shared: "When we enter the final chapter of the tournament together, let's celebrate a World Cup that brought the whole world closer together. Let's celebrate each other. This is football. This is solidarity. And this is greatness".
Tom Cruise conveys with sincerity and knows how to stop at the right time for the audience to respond.
The 2026 World Cup final night has closed with the victory belonging to the Spanish team. This is their emotional victory, 16 years after Spain won the world championship in 2010.
