"This crap is ridiculous—what the hell is Tom Cruise doing there?"

Argentinien chancenlos

Spanien krönt sich zum Weltmeister!

About 90 minutes before kickoff, internet star IShowSpeed and rappers Post Malone and Swae Lee will kick off the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on a massive stage. Rather than a sporting event, it resembles a Hollywood awards show, complete with the official FIFA anthem sung by Nicole Scherzinger, Laura Pausini, and Robbie Williams.

The event continues in a similar vein. The World Cup trophy is brought onto the field by tennis star Carlos Alcaraz and model Hoyeon in a Louis Vuitton suitcase. With Spain’s Andrés Iniesta (2010) and Argentina’s Mario Kempes (1978), there are at least two World Cup champions among the finalists—after all, this evening is still supposed to be about soccer.

Or is it only to a certain extent? Because before the players take the field, Tom Cruise gives a speech. “Soccer is a language spoken without words,” says the 64-year-old with a smile, concluding his speech with: “That’s soccer, that’s unity, and that’s significance.”

Actor Cruise's meaningful words and the colorful pregame show didn't go over well with everyone. On the platform X, various users are making fun of it:

"The stadium is silent after this performance by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger."

"First sighting of Alcaraz since the dinosaur era." The 23-year-old tennis star hasn't played in a tournament since April due to injuries. However, he seems fit enough to compete in the World Cup final.

"What's all this mess? The U.S. should never be allowed to host a World Cup again. Why was their national anthem played? What does it have to do with a soccer game they're not even playing in?"

Tom Cruise's speech, in particular, seems to have gone down very poorly on social media: "It's so cringe to have Tom Cruise. Can we make sure the U.S. never hosts the World Cup again?"

"This speech by Tom Cruise is the most American and most embarrassing thing I've seen in a long time. Why is he there? What is he saying? Who cares?"

“Can we finally play soccer, please? This crap is ridiculous. What the hell is Tom Cruise doing there? At least he called it ‘football’ (Americans usually call it ‘soccer,’ Ed.), so that’s something.”

Among the many reactions, there are hardly any positive ones. One user, however, is thrilled with the pre-game show: “All I’ll say is, this is the most iconic, beautiful, and fantastic World Cup closing ceremony ever. It was executed perfectly, just as Donald Trump would have expected. America has won. We Americans put on shows for the world.”