Tom Cruise tells World Cup closing ceremony: ‘This is unity’
By Lauren Del Fabbro, Press Association Entertainment Reporter
Tom Cruise, Jennifer Hudson and Robbie Williams were among the stars who stepped on to the pitch for the World Cup closing ceremony.
They appeared at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, minutes before Spain and Argentina kicked off in the final.
Grammy-award winning singer Hudson delivered a rendition of US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner, wearing a white gown and matching blazer.
The blazer had a red, white and blue ribbon detail which tied the back of the jacket together.
Williams appeared to perform the official Fifa anthem, Desire, alongside Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and Italian singer-songwriter Laura Pausini.
The former Take That star wore a sparkling royal blue tracksuit and Scherzinger and Pausini wore blue gowns.
Mission Impossible star Cruise ended the ceremony with a passionate speech on the pitch.
He said: “Thirty days ago, 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.
“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.”
He said football is a “language spoken without words” and a force that “unites people”, “turns strangers into friends” and reminds people what they have in common.
He continued: “These stories now belong to each and every one of us, to every nation, to every player, to every supporter, to every volunteer, to every dream carried on the pitch.
“As we gather for one final chapter, let us celebrate a tournament that brought the world together. Let us celebrate each other. This is football. This is unity and this, this is greatness.”
Nearly an hour before they took to the stage, the closing ceremony began with gold tracksuit-wearing drummers performing in the centre of the pitch.
Streamer IShowSpeed sang his song Champions, sporting a white suit with a team of dancers around him.
The pitch depicted a number of US landmarks including the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty with a football-like stage at its centre.
The performance later cut to rapper Post Malone, who sang Chrome Heartbreaker while wearing a cowboy hat, denim jacket and jeans.
He was then joined by rapper Swae Lee to sing their hit song Sunflower.
Comedian Will Ferrell was spotted in the crowd along with Dune star Timothee Chalamet and his girlfriend, social media star Kylie Jenner.
David and Victoria Beckham were also in the crowd for the final.
