The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is starting today (Sunday, July 19) as of writing this article, and things already kicked off with a bang. IShowSpeed became the first content creator to perform at the event, giving a rendition of his FIFA-promoting track "Champions." Then, Post Malone debuted some new music for this opening part of the overall final match and closing ceremony, later bringing out Swae Lee to perform their mega hit "Sunflower."
Post also performed his hit "Wow," and it seemed like an extravagant time overall. Folks had a lot to say in their initial reactions to the whole shindig, whether it was about Malone's apparent return to hip-hop or Speed performing at an event of this magnitude. There were a lot of memes, criticisms, and other wild reactions on social media. But they will all pale in comparison to folks' reactions to the showdown between Argentina and Spain for the ultimate victory.
Elsewhere for this FIFA World Cup closing, they have a stacked halftime show for fans. Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, and Shakira will grace the stage for a lengthy and ambitious performance.
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FIFA World Cup Final Performances
Plenty of other artists have performed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whether it's officially sanctioned fan events or the actual games and events from the organization. For example, Future and Tyla performed for the opening ceremonies weeks ago, and 50 Cent signed up to perform at various fan events.
There has also been some hip-hop crossover with the World Cup, whether it's as fans or more official collaborations. Fans are already joking about the "Drake curse" again after he bet over a million dollars on Argentina to beat Spain today. Also, whether it's folks like Travis Scott or Jay-Z, there have been a lot of celebrity pop-outs.
With all this in mind, IShowSpeed, Post Malone, and Swae Lee started to close out an incredibly exciting time for the summer. After all, this only happens every four years, so a lot of different cultural and entertainment corners celebrate it. We'll see if the 2026 FIFA World Cup final's halftime show is even more spectacular.
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