Fans left baffled by World Cup closing ceremony as YouTuber IShowSpeed performs in bizarre pregame show

Popular broadcaster IShowSpeed ​​kicked off the blockbuster final of the World Cup with a surprise appearance at the FIFA closing ceremony following a morning of growing football enthusiasm.

Defending champion Argentina bid to secure a second consecutive World Cup victory in a match against Spain on Sunday in front of 80,000 fans, including President Donald Trump, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

But even before the first kick of the match, spectators in the stadium, as well as billions watching at home, were treated to a dazzling display designed to commemorate all 48 nations competing in the tournament.

While the event, which took place 90 minutes before kick-off, was expected to feature artists including Tom Cruise, a group consisting of Hollywood’s best was announced.

But it was YouTuber IShowSpeed ​​who stole the show. The creator, who has over 58 million subscribers on YouTube and has streamed multiple matches, stunned fans with his singing.

He was listed as a performer but surprised the audience when he began performing his original song Champions, featured on the official 2026 World Cup album, amid colorful backup dancers in neon tracksuits.

The streamer surprised viewers when he started performing his original song Champions

Post Malone replaced IShowSpeed ​​in the spotlight. More accustomed to performing, he opened with his new track ‘Chrome Heartbreaker’ before launching into his 2018 song ‘Wow’ for his three-song performance.

He then brought in rapper Swae Lee to perform the Grammy-nominated hit Sunflower.

Post, 31, wore a classic Canadian tuxedo and accessorized with his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses.

The American singer and rapper pulled his denim jacket aside to reveal a T-shirt that read: ‘Hope both teams have fun.’ The shirt’s message was a nod to Elmo’s viral tweet ahead of the NBA Finals that outraged New Yorkers.

However, fans were disappointed by this strange spectacle; While many complained about the lack of creativity, others questioned why a content creator was given the honor of performing on the world’s biggest stage.

‘What an impressive closing ceremony. Zero creativity just artists singing songs,” one wrote to X.

“The lip sync in these closing ceremony performances is terrible,” said another.

A third said: ‘ishowspeed was so random’, while another stunned viewer described it as ‘unrealistic scenes’.

Creator performs amid neon dancers at MetLife Stadium

IShowSpeed, who has more than 58 million subscribers on YouTube, is dressed in a pure white suit

Post Malone (right) performed his 2018 hit Sunflower with Swae Lee (left)

The closing ceremony took place 90 minutes before kick-off between Spain and Argentina.

“Imagine telling someone a few years ago how pace would perform in the world cup,” added a fifth.

Another continued: ‘Worst closing ceremony… frankly low budget.’

“The World Cup closing show was terrible; terrible production, just like the opening ceremony,” said one X user.

Cruise was expected to be the main attraction and fans were stunned to see IShowSpeed ​​dominating the screens instead of the legendary actor.

The Mission Impossible star was seen in the stands throughout the tournament and performed at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Its specific role was initially unclear, as FIFA merely presented it as a ‘special skin’. However, half an hour before the match started, the Hollywood icon was still nowhere to be seen.

An angry social media user shared: ‘WHERE IS TOM CRUISE?’

Tony winner and Pussycat Dolls alum Nicole Scherzinger was also scheduled to appear; This included Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini, who helped open the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Meanwhile, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson was given the honor of performing the US national anthem.

Heimo Schirgi, the World Cup’s chief operating officer, said before the tournament: “Embodying the spirit of the opening ceremonies that welcomed the world to the biggest 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 kicking off the highly anticipated match that will crown the champions of this groundbreaking tournament.”

Post, 31, wore a classic Canadian tuxedo and accessorized with his signature cowboy hat

Fans stunned by bizarre display and criticize ‘random’ performances

The Mission Impossible actor was spotted arriving at MetLife Stadium on Sunday morning

This year’s show is bigger and better than ever; The star-studded event also includes the first-ever World Cup halftime show, featuring the likes of Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.

The ceremony took place after chaos in New York and New Jersey, with thousands of fans flocking to the Big Apple region for the finale.

Those lucky enough to get a ticket or pay $10,000 per ticket were asked to arrive at the 80,000-seat stadium, located a short drive outside Manhattan, up to four hours before kickoff.

FIFA has encouraged fans to arrive early to attend the World Cup closing ceremony, which is scheduled to begin approximately 90 minutes before the match kicks off.

But it has become standard procedure for fans to arrive even earlier for additional security checks when Trump attends a sporting event so they don’t risk missing kickoff.

Trump has appeared at many events during his second term as President, from the Ryder Cup to the Super Bowl, and his attendance often means long delays for fans, with airport-style security measures in place for anyone entering the venue.

But Sunday’s delays were exacerbated following reports of glitches in FIFA’s ticket scanning system; This means those lucky enough to be at the front of long queues still face frustrating delays.

The Daily Mail also witnessed increasing tensions between fans, members of the media and security personnel; Officials on the field were telling anyone who complained, “Report this matter to FIFA.”

Argentine fans arrive at MetLife Stadium ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated Spain final

Thousands of fans and media members faced huge queues as they entered the stadium for the World Cup final on Sunday, amid several reports that security guards were struggling to handle the situation

But security staff also seemed confused about how to manage the thousands of people who came to the match.

There were numerous examples on the ground of organizers misleading people as to where they should line up to enter the stadium, more than three hours before the game was due to start.

Media members also faced extra checks by the secret service due to the need to bring laptops and filming equipment inside the stadium. DHS police and state police were also seen at the location.

This all happened when other fans decided to leave late to get to the stadium. Four hours before kickoff, many fans were still waiting at Penn Station in Manhattan to board the train to New Jersey and the stadium.

The match will be the most expensive match in the history of the sport; On Sunday morning, the cheapest ticket available on most resale sites was starting at about $7,000.

However, there were not many problems for VIP guests. Ahead of his anticipated appearance at the closing ceremony, Cruise was spotted entering the venue, which was renamed ‘New York/New Jersey Stadium’ for the tournament.

Football’s big names, including Brazilian World Cup champion Ronaldo, former England captain John Terry and former Argentina player Diego Simeone, looked carefree as they entered the stadium just before the match.

While Lionel Messi and Co were hoping to make it back-to-back titles after winning the tournament in Qatar four years ago, Spain have not won the World Cup since 2010.

At the end of the match, a new stage will be installed on the field to watch Messi or Rodri lift their country’s World Cup.

It is expected that Trump will be given the honor of handing the trophy to the winning team.

The President also performed the same duties at the Club World Cup final held at MetLife Stadium.

He stunned the winning Chelsea stars, including Cole Palmer and Reece James, when he remained on stage throughout the celebrations.