FIFA World Cup 2026 final: Which world leaders and celebrities will attend, and who will perform at halftime? Full list

US President Donald Trump is expected to join the trophy presentation, while Post Malone, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS will perform at halftime.

Published on: Jul 19, 2026, 09:50:48 IST

By Shirin Gupta

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain promises to be more than football's biggest match. Fans at New York New Jersey Stadium will witness a star-studded closing ceremony and the tournament's first-ever halftime show.

Post Malone, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Shakira, and BTS will perform at halftime. ((Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) and (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP))

The event is also expected to culminate with US President Donald Trump joining FIFA president Gianni Infantino during the trophy presentation after the final.

The final begins at 3 pm ET, but celebrations will start nearly 90 minutes earlier.

Heimo Schirgi, FIFA Chief Operating Officer, said in a press release, “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.”

Also read: Who will win the Golden Boot race at FIFA World Cup 2026? Mbappe in the lead with Messi hot on heels ahead of final

Post Malone headlines closing ceremony before game

FIFA has said the closing ceremony will celebrate the journey of all 48 participating nations across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Post Malone will headline FIFA's official closing ceremony before the match. The ceremony is expected to feature appearances from actor Tom Cruise, internet personality IShowSpeed, British singer Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Italian singer Laura Pausini.

Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson will perform the United States national anthem before kick-off.

FIFA's first-ever World Cup halftime show

The 2026 World Cup will introduce a Super Bowl-style halftime show in tournament history. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has curated the production, which is expected to last about 11 minutes. With setup and takedown time taken into consideration, the players' break may be longer than 20 minutes.

The halftime lineup includes Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, Burna Boy, BTS and renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The PS 22 Choir from Staten Island will also perform with Coldplay. Several Sesame Street characters are expected to make appearances during the show.

FIFA said the halftime show will support the Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to improve access to education and sports for children worldwide.

Also read: Kylian Mbappe's record-breaking brace not enough as Bukayo Saka's hat-trick seals England's 6-4 win and World Cup bronze

Trump at the final expected to present trophy

Trump is expected to attend the World Cup final and participate in the trophy presentation alongside Infantino, according to Yahoo Sports.

Trump has also made headlines during the tournament. Earlier in the competition, he reportedly contacted Infantino regarding the red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun. FIFA later overturned the suspension, allowing Balogun to feature in the Round of 16.

Other world leaders expected at the World Cup final

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are also expected to attend following an invitation from Trump. The leaders represent the three nations co-hosting the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup and previously appeared together during the tournament draw in Washington last December.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also confirmed an appearance on Friday to watch their country play in the final. King Felipe VI is also expected to attend given Spain's chance at winning the World Cup after 2010.

However, Argentina President Javier Milei has decided against attending the match. Milei on Thursday that his decision to skip the largest football game is solely due to superstition known locally as cábalas. Milei is reluctant to risk ending Argentina's winning streak in the seven World Cup matches he has watched from home.

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani will also be in attendance at the World Cup Final.

Several other celebrities have attended World Cup matches throughout the tournament. Multiple outlets reported appearances by stars such as Travis Scott, Javier Bardem, Jeff Bezos, Drake, Ryan Reynolds and other entertainment figures.

While more celebrities could attend Sunday's final, FIFA has not confirmed additional guest appearances.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shirin Gupta
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

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