Jennifer Hudson will sing the United States national anthem at the World Cup final on Sunday, 19 July 2026, before Spain face Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, kicking off at 21:00 SAST.
The addition was confirmed on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, dropping one of pop’s biggest voices into a night already stacked with star power.
Hudson knows a thing or two about a big stage, and this one comes with a global audience watching.
What Jennifer Hudson brings to the World Cup final anthem
Hudson will deliver a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner before a global TV audience expected to reach hundreds of millions.
She became the youngest woman and only the third African-American performer to complete the EGOT, so nerves in front of a big crowd are not really her thing.
Who else is singing at the World Cup final
Tom Cruise has also been booked for a special appearance on the night, tying in with his upcoming Alejandro G. Iñárritu film Digger, which lands in cinemas later this year.
FIFA’s closing ceremony, held before the match, brings performances from Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and YouTube star IShowSpeed.
The halftime show, put together by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, lines up Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Between the anthem, the closing ceremony and the interval, the football almost has to fight for attention against the guest list on the bill.
This is the grand finale of a tournament staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States, the first World Cup shared by three host nations. MetLife Stadium has been rebranded New York New Jersey Stadium for the occasion, and organisers wanted the send-off to match the scale.
Heimo Schirgi, chief operating officer of FIFA World Cup 2026, framed the night as a full-circle moment, tying the closing ceremony back to the opening and setting up the match that crowns this tournament’s champions.
Schirgi said:
“Echoing the spirit of the opening ceremonies, which welcomed the world to the greatest stage in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the closing ceremony will bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 full circle through music, culture and football, before we kick off the highly anticipated match that will crown the champions of this groundbreaking tournament.”
Once Hudson steps back from the microphone, the night belongs to Spain and Argentina, with kickoff set for 21:00 SAST and a trophy on the line.
Whether her anthem or the football lingers longer in the memory is the only thing left to settle.
