Tom Cruise appeared on the field before the final match of the World Cup kicked off at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to deliver an enthusiastic speech.
The A-lister took the spotlight wearing a simple black polo shirt and sported windswept hair.
He began by saying, “More than 30 days ago, 48 nations began a journey. They crossed oceans. They crossed borders. They crossed cultures. And together they showed us why this game belongs to the world.”
He went on, “From three countries across them, and from every corner of the globe, we have witnessed greatness, and we have shared in moments of joy, moments of hope, moments we will all never forget. Football is a language spoken without words, a force that unites people, that turns strangers into friends and reminds us of what we all have in common.”
The “Top Gun” star finished his address to the crowd, “So as we gather for one final chapter, let us celebrate a tournament that brought the world together. Let us celebrate each other. This is futbol. This is unity. And this…this is greatness.”
VIDEO: Jennifer Hudson Performs National Anthem at World Cup Final
A few moments before Cruise’s speech, Jennifer Hudson took the field to perform a soaring version of the national anthem. Hudson finished in seventh place on season 3 of “American Idol” before going on to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as role as Effie White in 2006’s “Dreamgirls.”
In 2022, Hudson became the 17th person in history to achieve EGOT status. Her self-titled debut album won her a Grammy for Best R&B album in 2009, and an Emmy in 2021 for her role as an executive producer on the VR animated film “Baba Yaga.”
In 2022, she completed her EGOT collection with a Tony Award for coproducing the musical “A Strange Loop,” which ran on Broadway from April 2022 to January 2023.
Celebrity Sightings at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet shared a kiss while watching the match. Kylie was dressed in an all-black ensemble while the “Call Me by Your Name” star rocked a blue Adidas long-sleeved top.
Matt Damon and his wife Lucy were seen arriving at the Gold Carpet ahead of the match.
Another Carousel of photos from the carpet posted by JustJared shows “Ozark” star Julia Garner, 2010 women’s downhill skiing Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn, Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, and more.
Post Malone and Swae Lee performed their 2018 hit “Sunflower” from the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soundtrack.
Tom Cruise’s World Cup Speech Comes After Kind Gesture for Movie Theater Staff
On the evening of Wednesday, July 15, Cruise invited every employee of the AMC Lincoln Square theater in New York City to attend a special screening of “The Odyssey,” which will be released to the public two days later on July 15.
He did this after his late arrival at 10:45 p.m. caused him to miss his originally scheduled appearance.
