Milan, 19 July (LaPresse) – The closing ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, which precedes the final between Argentina and Spain, officially began with the US national anthem sung by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner Jennifer Hudson. Following the US national anthem, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams took to the stage to perform the official World Cup song, ‘Desire’. The Italian singer performed in Spanish, as she is hugely popular in Spanish-speaking and South American countries. Immediately afterwards, the World Cup trophy was paraded onto the pitch, presented to the crowd by two legendary former players from Argentina and Spain – Mario Kempes and Andrés Iniesta, World Cup winners in 1978 and 2010 respectively. It was then the turn of actor Tom Cruise to extend his greetings, and those of the United States, to audiences around the world watching the final from the stadium stands and on television. And it was the star of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series himself who introduced the final between Argentina and Spain.
World Cup: pre-final show, featuring Laura Pausini and Tom Cruise
Milan, 19 July (LaPresse) – The closing ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, which precedes the final between Argentina and Spain, officially began with the US national anthem sung by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner Jennifer Hudson. Following the US national anthem, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams took to the stage to perform the official World Cup song, ‘Desire’. The Italian singer performed in Spanish, as she is hugely popular in Spanish-speaking and South American countries. Immediately afterwards, the World Cup trophy was paraded onto the pitch, presented to the crowd by two legendary former players from Argentina and Spain – Mario Kempes and Andrés Iniesta, World Cup winners in 1978 and 2010 respectively. It was then the turn of actor Tom Cruise to extend his greetings, and those of the United States, to audiences around the world watching the final from the stadium stands and on television. And it was the star of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series himself who introduced the final between Argentina and Spain.
