IShowSpeed kicks off World Cup closing ceremony in blaze of colour

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, IShowSpeed opened the closing ceremony on Sunday Published 8 minutes ago The 2026 World Cup closing ceremony kicked off with a performance from streamer IShowSpeed, who took to the field alongside drummers and dancers in vibrant tracksuits. More than 80,000 fans, celebrities and foreign dignitaries are expected to pack New York New Jersey Stadium for Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina. The star-studded pre-match entertainment is set to continue, with actor Tom Cruise expected to appear alongside singers Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger. Watch closing ceremony and build-up before Spain face Argentina in World Cup final Image source, Getty Images Italian singer Pausini told the BBC's Carl Nasman that she's "very excited" and "proud" to be performing alongside Williams and Scherzinger at the closing ceremony. "When Robbie [Williams] invited me to sing with him, I felt goosebumps everywhere because Robbie's one of my favorite singer, songwriter, and performer," Pausini told the BBC. The planned celebrity performances will also include a half-time show headlined by Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS. Madonna, the best-selling female music artist of all time, will perform after the launch of her new album, Confessions II, which debuted as the Number 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart in July. Justin Bieber also returned to headlines in April with his biggest live show in four years at the Coachella music festival, having cancelled his Justice world tour following health issues. Colombian pop star Shakira and Nigerian musician Burna Boy will return to the stage together after performing during the opening ceremony in Mexico City last month. Their song Dai Dai has been a global favourite on music charts and was a frequently played number at stadiums during the tournament. Meanwhile, K-Pop stars BTS will perform after making their comeback from a three-year music hiatus to complete their mandatory military service in South Korea. They are currently in the middle of an 85-date world tour. The half-time break is expected to last 20-25 minutes, with Fifa saying the Super-Bowl-style performance will take 11 minutes. It has been curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and will raise money for the Fifa Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100m (£73m) for children worldwide. Related topics Shakira Madonna BTS Justin Bieber Tom Cruise Robbie Williams More on this story How the World Cup made an 'NFL-obsessed' American a football fan Published 2 days ago The financial winners and losers from the World Cup Published 2 days ago