FIFA is planning a separate Closing Ceremony at MetLife Stadium, reportedly featuring Pink in a high-flying performance distinct from the half-time show curated by Chris Martin that includes Madonna, BTS and Shakira. The move highlights FIFA’s push to package the World Cup as a global entertainment spectacle, blending blockbuster music moments with football’s sporting climax.
Pink reportedly set for MetLife Closing Ceremony as World Cup ramps up entertainment
FIFA is understood to be preparing a separate Closing Ceremony at MetLife Stadium, with three-time Grammy winner Pink linked to a high-profile performance. The proposed show would sit apart from the officially announced half-time production, adding another star-studded moment to a tournament already heavy on big names.
How the planned ceremony fits into the tournament program
The Closing Ceremony is said to be staged at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the New York-area venue chosen to host the final. That placement underlines a strategy to finish the tournament with an unmistakably American-style spectacle, distinct from — but immediately adjacent to — the matchday drama.
Half-time show vs closing spectacle
The half-time slot has been curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and includes Madonna, K-pop supergroup BTS and Shakira. That 11-minute performance is already billed as a historic first for the competition; the addition of a separate Closing Ceremony would effectively bookend the final with two major entertainment events, rather than a single musical centerpiece.
Context: a tournament built around pop power
Shakira performed the official song "Dai Dai" alongside Burna Boy during the opening match at Estadio Azteca. Katy Perry fronted the opening ceremony in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, and artists such as Anitta, Tyla and Lisa of Blackpink have also been showcased. The World Cup has been intentionally curated as a sequence of global pop moments, not just a series of football matches.
What this means — and why it matters
Layering another headline act onto the final changes the event’s balance. For broadcasters and sponsors, extra star power is a ratings and revenue play. For purists, it risks diluting the sporting crescendo with back-to-back entertainment segments. Logistically, mounting a separate, large-scale production inside or around a stadium already configured for a final is a complex and costly undertaking — but the payoff is a high-profile cultural moment.
Analysis: Americanisation, spectacle and the World Cup brand
This approach signals that FIFA is comfortable leaning into American entertainment norms: bigger, flashier, and oriented around celebrity performance. That’s a defensible commercial strategy — the World Cup is a global stage and music drives audiences — but it subtly reframes the final from a single, definitive sporting climax into a multi-act media event.
Potential reactions and next steps
Fans and stakeholders will weigh cost, spectacle and sporting integrity. If confirmed, the ceremony will demand tight scheduling to avoid overshadowing the match itself. Official confirmation and logistical details are likely to follow as plans are finalised, and any performance — especially one involving aerial stunts — will be subject to safety and broadcast considerations.
Bottom line
A separate Closing Ceremony featuring a major pop star would mark a clear shift: the World Cup increasingly positions itself as live entertainment as well as elite sport.
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The Sun
