Post Malone will headline the World Cup halftime show closing ceremony before the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FIFA said the event starts 90 minutes before kickoff at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, putting the entertainment program directly in front of the title match rather than treating it as a side attraction.
Post Malone at New York New Jersey Stadium
FIFA announced on Wednesday that the closing ceremony will take place at New York New Jersey Stadium, which is known outside the tournament as MetLife Stadium. The lineup also includes Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and IShowSpeed, with Jennifer Hudson set to sing the U.S. national anthem at the final.
Heimo Schirgi said, "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."
Chris Martin and the separate show
The final's entertainment plans are split between a closing ceremony and a separately announced halftime show, with different performers attached to each. Earlier this month, FIFA named Justin Bieber as a co-headliner for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show alongside Madonna, BTS and Shakira, with Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, the PS22 Chorus and Coldplay also part of that lineup.
Chris Martin is curating the final halftime show, and Global Citizen will produce it. That division gives the final two distinct entertainment packages: one built around the pre-kickoff ceremony in East Rutherford, and another built for the match break itself.
June 11 to Sunday
The tournament kicked off on June 11 in Mexico City, making this announcement the last major entertainment update before the championship match. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first men's World Cup to feature an expanded 48-team field, and the scale of the final now matches that larger footprint with a staged program around it.
For ticket holders, the useful detail is simple: the pre-match show begins at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, and Hudson's anthem performance will be part of that runway into kickoff. The only unresolved operational point is how FIFA will stage the ceremony around the match clock, because the announcement sets the start time but not the mechanics.
