Madonna, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, The Muppets and Wayne Rooney all delivered scene-stealing moments at the 2026 World Cup final After almost six weeks of ups and downs, this year’s World Cup came to an end over the weekend with a tense match that saw Spain triumphing over Argentina. The 2026 World Cup final delivered plenty of stand-out moments – and we’re definitely not just talking about the football. From unexpected celebrity appearances to a first-of-its-kind halftime show (which, it has to be said, received a bit of a lukewarm reception), the last night of the global football tournament gave us plenty of big moments from the world of entertainment that really got people talking. Here are just 11 of those celeb moments from the 2026 World Cup final that you might have missed… 1. With the final taking place on US soil, things kicked off with a rendition of America’s National Anthem performed by the always–note-perfect EGOT recipient Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Hudson performs a grand rendition of the United States National Anthem at the FIFA World Cup final 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/4AlAA3d1MM — Jennifer Hudson Archive (@jhudaccess) July 19, 2026 2. Jennifer Hudson was always going to be a tough act to follow, so organisers had three musical acts from around the globe team up to perform next, with a trio made up of Tony winner Nicole Scherzinger, British chart-topper Robbie Williams and Italian pop superstar Laura Pausini Robbie Willians, Nicole Scherzinger e Laura Pausini#ESPxARGpic.twitter.com/qerKKlrD4D — Sara Wigand サラ (@SaraWigand) July 19, 2026 3. Tom Cruise warms up the crowd before the game gets underway because… hey, why not? Tom Cruise opened the FIFA World Cup final with an inspirational speech celebrating football’s power to unite people around the world. “This is football. This is unity. This is greatness.” pic.twitter.com/w0Ag04iD9P — cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) July 19, 2026 4. The much-hyped star-studded Halftime Show started with a (mostly pre-recorded) performance of a Madonna classic – and the briefest of snippets of her latest hit – with some iconic football cameos in what turned out to be the scene-stealing moment of the whole 11-minute show MADONNA officially opened the FIFA halftime show. pic.twitter.com/NnRfMOtxEX — Fearcyz (@FearcyzD) July 19, 2026 That wasn't on our bingo card 😅 R9 and Ronaldinho drive Madonna through the tunnel for the Half-Time Show 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yy9eFKfz9z — ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 19, 2026 Real photo of Madonna being arrested for stealing the show. pic.twitter.com/JRN6MQI4qQ — Matthew Rettenmund (@mattrett) July 19, 2026 5. We’re always happy to see more of The Muppets on our screens, with The Electric Mayhem getting the fans going with this version of Seven Nation Army (don’t worry, there was an appearance from Kermit and Miss Piggy later on, too) The Electric Mayhem made a brief appearance in the halftime show of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final, performing the hit song “Seven Nation Army.”#Disneypic.twitter.com/WeHr7xufkL — All Things Disney (@AllThingsDSNY) July 19, 2026 We believe!🫶 The Muppets joined Chris Martin, Shakira, BTS and more to close out the first-ever FIFA World Cup Halftime show! pic.twitter.com/oNv75frRtn — Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) July 19, 2026 6. BTS brought the Dynamite with a rendition of one of their signature songs BTS performs "Dynamite" at the FIFA #WorldCup Final Halftime Show (via FOX) pic.twitter.com/wYmvwYwKX9 — Variety (@Variety) July 19, 2026 7. Ted Lasso himself introduced Justin Bieber, who used his segment of the show to deliver an acoustic ballad which doesn’t quite scream ‘football celebration’ to us but hey what do we know? Confira a apresentação completa de Justin Bieber durante o show do intervalo da final da Copa do Mundo FIFA 2026. #BieberCuppic.twitter.com/FmT8qDBuiR — Turnê Bieber (@turnebieber) July 19, 2026 8. Shakira and Burna Boy then teamed up to bring their football anthem Dai Dai to life with some brilliant choreo ⚽️🏟️ Watch Shakira performing “Dai Dai” (feat. Burna Boy) during the FIFA World Cup halftime show in New Jersey! pic.twitter.com/Xb96b2twHk — ShakiraMedia (@ShakiraMedia) July 19, 2026 9. Let’s be honest, though, back in the BBC studio, Wayne Rooney summed up the feelings of many people watching (it was no Super Bowl Halftime, was it?) "What did you think of the World Cup final half-time show?" Wayne Rooney: pic.twitter.com/1j6OQap9Yi — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 19, 2026 10. There was plenty of celeb spotting to be done in the crowd, from Rihanna and A$AP Rocky to Sir David and Victoria Beckham, as well as Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet jaÿ-z, beyoncé, rihanna, and asap rocky at the fifa world cup final pic.twitter.com/sUFdX7UYGS — 🐝 (@beyzhive) July 19, 2026 Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner attending the FIFA World Cup Final. pic.twitter.com/T6ixfh45Nq — ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ (@metgalacrave) July 19, 2026 ⭐️🎬 ¡Pasarela de estrellas en la gran final del Mundial! 🏆La final de la Copa del Mundo atrajo a algunas de las celebridades más conocidas del planeta para el duelo entre España y Argentina en las tribunas del MetLife Stadium. 🏟️Entre las estrellas que se han dejado ver… pic.twitter.com/MwP2E7uCeQ — EL TIEMPO (@ELTIEMPO) July 19, 2026 11. And we’ll leave it up to you to determine whether this counts as a ‘celebrity moment’ but the crowd’s reaction to US president Donald Trump hitting the pitch was one of the most talked-about scenes of the whole night MASSIVE BOOS for Trump at World Cup. He has to be livid! pic.twitter.com/r8KJvjeJwA — Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) July 19, 2026 What it sounded like when President Trump walked onto the field with FIFA head Gianni Infantino for the World Cup trophy presentation pic.twitter.com/qEIo327rcp — Monica Alba (@albamonica) July 19, 2026 Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino arrived for the World Cup trophy presentation to "not the warmest of receptions." pic.twitter.com/0IKiZZI2TP — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 19, 2026 READ MORE: Madonna Says She's 'Pinching Herself' As New Album Tops The Charts In The US And UK Our Guide To Every Celebrity Cameo Featured In Madonna's Confessions II Short Film Madonna Wows Fans With Epic Surprise Show In New York's Times Square