The FIFA World Cup 2026 final was marked by an unforgettable celebration as football, music and entertainment came together on one stage at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Ahead of Spain’s victory over Argentina, fans witnessed a grand closing ceremony followed by the tournament’s first-ever official Halftime Show, featuring internationally renowned artists and football legends.

The event showcased performances, cultural celebrations and visual spectacles that reflected the global appeal of the FIFA World Cup.

Star-studded closing ceremony opens the final

The festivities began before kick-off with streamer IShowSpeed performing his World Cup song Champions. Opera tenor Christopher Macchio followed with a rendition of America the Beautiful, while Post Malone and Swae Lee energized the crowd with their hit Sunflower.

Academy Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson performed the United States national anthem before FIFA Music Ambassador Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini took the stage to perform the official FIFA anthem Desire.

Former World Cup-winning captains Andres Iniesta and Mario Kempes later carried the iconic FIFA World Cup Trophy onto the pitch before actor Tom Cruise concluded the ceremony with a message highlighting football’s ability to unite people across the world.

National anthems and legendary introductions

Before the final got underway, Spain’s national anthem was performed by trombonist Indalecio “Inda” Bonet alongside Spanish Brass, while Argentine singer Maria Becerra delivered her country’s national anthem.

Adding to the excitement, renowned announcers Bruce Buffer and Michael Buffer introduced the teams in front of a packed stadium.

First-ever FIFA World Cup Halftime Show makes history

After a scoreless first half, the FIFA World Cup introduced its inaugural official Halftime Show, marking a new chapter in the tournament’s history.

Madonna opened the performance with her hit Music, joined on stage by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

The entertainment continued with The Muppets performing Seven Nation Army, followed by BTS performing Dynamite.

Actor Jason Sudeikis appeared in character as Ted Lasso before Justin Bieber performed a special version of Everything Hallelujah with football-themed lyrics.

Shakira and Burna Boy returned to perform the official FIFA World Cup 2026 song Dai Dai, having also featured during the tournament’s opening ceremony in Mexico City.

Grand finale celebrates unity through music and football

The Halftime Show concluded with an ensemble performance featuring the PS22 Chorus, a live band, The Muppets, Sesame Street characters and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who curated the historic production. Together they performed the original song We Dance before a fireworks display brought the celebrations to a memorable close.

The ceremony highlighted football’s global reach by combining sport, music and culture, creating one of the most elaborate entertainment spectacles in FIFA World Cup history.

Spain are the new FIFA World Cup champions after defeating Argentina 1-0 following extra time in a hard-fought final, ending the defending champions’ reign and lifting the trophy for the second time.

The match remained deadlocked until Ferran Torres found the breakthrough in extra time, scoring the only goal of the contest to hand Spain football’s biggest prize.

Ferran Torres seals Spain’s historic triumph

Spain and Argentina battled through a tense final before Torres produced the decisive moment in extra time. The goal proved enough to separate the two sides as Spain secured their second FIFA World Cup title.

The victory also brought Argentina’s successful title defence to an end after a closely contested encounter.

Lionel Messi ends campaign in tears

The defeat marked an emotional conclusion for Lionel Messi, who is widely expected to have played his final FIFA World Cup match.

After receiving his runners-up medal, the Argentina captain was seen leaving the field in tears following his team’s narrow defeat.

Trophy ceremony draws mixed reaction

The medal and trophy presentation was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Leaders from fellow tournament co-hosts Canada and Mexico were also present for the final.

Trump and Infantino were booed by sections of the crowd during the trophy ceremony.

Star-studded halftime show grabs attention

Apart from the football action, the World Cup final also featured a high-profile halftime entertainment show inspired by the Super Bowl format.

The performance included Shakira, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Burna Boy, with the show curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

The United States launched military strikes on Iran for the seventh consecutive night on Friday, while Tehran warned it could significantly expand its offensive if the attacks continue for several more days.

According to the US Central Command, American forces carried out another round of strikes aimed at “continuing to degrade Iranian military capabilities.” The latest attacks come amid an escalating conflict that has seen both countries exchange drone and missile strikes across the region.

Iran warns of wider offensive

Iranian officials accused the United States of targeting civilian infrastructure, including an airport, a railway station and two bridges. Tehran also claimed it had carried out strikes against US military assets across the region.

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned that Iran would resume “full-scale offensive operations” if US attacks continue for another two or three days.

He said Iran would no longer restrict itself to proportional retaliation and warned that “no political border will be safe” if the conflict escalates further.

US President Donald Trump had earlier warned that Iranian infrastructure could become a target, although there was no official confirmation from Washington that such infrastructure had been struck during Friday’s operations.

UN expresses concern over escalation

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the intensifying conflict and said attacks targeting civilian infrastructure were unacceptable.

The current round of hostilities began on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, and launching attacks against Israel and US interests across the Gulf region.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards aerospace force commander Majid Mousavi said operations against US targets would continue until Washington halted military action around Iran’s southern coastal areas and the Strait of Hormuz.

Regional tensions widen

The conflict has increasingly spread across the Middle East.

Iran said it targeted US military positions in Kuwait, where authorities reported damage to a power and water facility. Kuwait’s military also said several personnel were injured in drone attacks on military bases.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for strikes on US radar systems and military aircraft in Qatar. Qatari authorities said they successfully intercepted a missile attack.

Iran also claimed to have attacked two US radar sites in Oman and the Al-Tanf military base in Syria. However, a Syrian military source denied any attack on the base, while US officials said American troops had already withdrawn from Al-Tanf earlier this year.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted three Iranian missiles, while Bahrain reported precautionary measures after Iranian state media claimed US aircraft and helicopters stationed at an airbase there had been targeted.

Civilian impact and diplomatic efforts

The conflict has also affected civilian infrastructure and essential services.

Iran’s energy ministry urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption after it said US strikes placed pressure on the country’s energy facilities and power grid.

In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, the exiled Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan said drone and rocket attacks killed nine of its members, blaming Iran for the strikes.

Iran’s health ministry said at least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 injured since the latest phase of fighting began.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continued. China and Pakistan called on both Washington and Tehran to halt military operations and return to negotiations.

The wider regional crisis has also disrupted maritime security. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a commercial tanker was struck by a projectile overnight off the coast of Oman as attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continued.