World Cup final: Spain vs Argentina at MetLife Stadium with first-ever half-time show starring Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber

A historic final

The 2026 FIFA World Cup concludes on Sunday, July 19, with Spain facing Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. UK). The match marks the first World Cup final hosted in the United States since 1994, and the first tournament expanded to 48 nations, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The 78,576-capacity venue will also host a closing ceremony integrated into the event, including a pre-match presentation and a post-match celebration. Three separate opening ceremonies were held across the host nations, but only one closing ceremony will take place.

The man in the middle

Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, 46, will take charge of the final, becoming the first official from his country to officiate football's biggest match. He will be assisted by compatriots Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, with German Bastian Dankert serving as VAR, supported by Colombia's Nicolas Gallo. Vincic, who refereed the 2024 Champions League final, was emotional upon learning of his appointment at FIFA's referee base in Miami on Thursday.

So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it's an incredible honour to get the World Cup final. It's something that... it's only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start. So, I'm very proud, very proud of myself, my team.

This will be Vincic's fourth match of the tournament and his sixth World Cup fixture overall. He previously oversaw Argentina's shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in the 2022 group stage and has officiated Spain three times in European Championship finals, including their 2024 semi-final win over France. In last season's Champions League quarter-finals, he sent off Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler in a contentious tie against Bayern Munich. His most recent match at this tournament saw him dismiss Ecuador's Piero Hincapie for covering his mouth while confronting an opponent.

A Super Bowl-style half-time show

For the first time in World Cup history, the final will feature a half-time show, with performances from Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Justin Bieber. The break will be extended to 25 minutes, well beyond the 15-minute maximum stipulated by the International Football Association Board (Ifab). FIFA has described the show as a "landmark celebration at the intersection of sport, music and global impact."

James Massing, whose team at Live Nation is producing the show, told the BBC that "expectation from fans has heightened" and that adding music makes "a final feel like a final." He noted that the sports industry must innovate because it is "competing with any other live experience, going to the museum, going to the theatre, going to the cinema." Last year's Club World Cup final at the same venue featured a 24-minute half-time with Coldplay, J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems. Massing also recalled the energy when The Killers performed before the Champions League final in May: "you felt the energy in the stadium peak."

Sports broadcaster Betty Glover, covering the World Cup for the BBC, said there is "a battle to get more Americans involved and fall in love with this game," and that more people are getting on board.

How to watch

In the United States, the match will air live on FOX, with a Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo. Cord-cutters can stream via DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, or FOX One, with free trials available. In the United Kingdom, both the BBC and ITV (STV in Scotland) will broadcast the final and the full half-time show, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. UK time for the closing ceremony.