International leaders, royals and senior football officials attended the final alongside the entertainment world’s biggest stars. That high-profile political presence would later feed into one of the ceremony’s most discussed and awkward viral moments. | Source: Getty Images
There were major performances, too, with Post Malone and Swae Lee appearing during the pre-match ceremony. Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini, and Nicole Scherzinger performed the World Cup anthem “Desire,” while a celebrated American vocalist was selected to deliver the U.S. national anthem.
The pre-match program featured several major musical performances before Jennifer Hudson’s fiercely debated national anthem rendition. Viewers praised its power and passion, although others argued that the theatrical arrangement overwhelmed the familiar song. | Source: Getty Images
The first-ever World Cup Final halftime show added even more famous names, including Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, Coldplay with the PS22 Chorus, Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic and the Muppets.
Yet with all that talent gathered in one place, the internet’s first obsession began with a Hollywood actor standing alone in the middle of the field.
Justin Bieber was among the major artists enlisted for the final’s ambitious entertainment program. His appearance helped underline how FIFA had turned the championship match into a full-scale global pop-culture event. | Source: Getty Images
Tom Cruise Took the Field… Then One Unexpected Word Hijacked the Speech
Tom had been given a prominent place in the opening festivities, stepping onto the pitch to deliver remarks ahead of the final. Dressed in black and holding a microphone, he began with an earnest reflection on the tournament’s global journey.
“More than 30 days ago, 48 nations began a journey,” the actor said in the footage shared by FIFA. “They crossed oceans, they crossed borders, they crossed cultures. And together, they showed us why this game belongs to the world.”
Tom Cruise’s opening remarks were meant to celebrate the tournament’s international reach and shared sense of unity. Instead, his repeated use of the word “football” became an unexpectedly dominant talking point online. | Source: Getty Images
He continued by praising the unforgettable moments of “joy” and “hope” produced by the competition. His delivery was grand, emotional, and unmistakably designed for a worldwide audience.
Then came the word in a sentence that instantly grabbed viewers’ attention, as Tom declared:
“Football is a language spoken without words, a force that unites people, that turns strangers into friends, and reminds us of what we all have in common.”
After announcing that only “España y Argentina” remained, he stressed that the tournament’s stories belonged to every nation, player, supporter, and volunteer. “So as we gather for one final chapter, let us celebrate a tournament that brought the world together,” he said. “Let us celebrate each other.” Tom concluded, “This is football. This is unity. And this, this is greatness.”
It was intended as a stirring tribute to the sport’s power to unite people. Instead, a considerable portion of the reaction focused on something much simpler: an American had repeatedly called the game “football,” not “soccer.”
Cruise declared, “This is football. This is unity. And this, this is greatness,” in a characteristically dramatic conclusion. Viewers were soon debating everything from his delivery to whether an American should have called the sport “soccer.” | Source: Getty Images
‘Did He Say Football?’ Viewers Could Not Get past Tom’s Choice of Words
The wording delighted some viewers, surprised others, and prompted plenty of jokes. Beneath a Facebook discussion of the moment, one spectator wrote, “Cruise has travelled outside the US so knows the world calls it Football.” Another joked, “Doesn’t he mean soccer?, [sic] Americans are reaching for Google wondering what ‘football’ is……”
Someone else added, “I was just impressed he didn’t call it soccer,” while one Instagram viewer was less interested in the terminology, commenting, “Is this a joke? Get this second half started already.”
The speech also received some bewildered reactins on Reddit. One viewer opined, “This was…strange.” Another posted, “wait..did he say football? An american?! [sic].” Chiming in among the chatter, a netizen explained, “This is soccer … Football in the US means something different,” while an observer simply asked, “What was that??”
The reaction continued on X, where FootballHQ posted: “Tom Cruise giving the worst, most American speech ever to a crowd full of South Americans and Spanish speaking [sic] fans sums ‘USA’ up.”
A fellow commenter focused on the same unexpected terminology, , “I’m shocked Tom cruise [sic] called it football instead of soccer 😂😂.”
Meanwhile, someone else , “It makes perfect sense Tom [sic] Cruise is doing this weird speech right now that we can’t fully hear. Vintage Cruise.”
Tom’s speech was undeniably theatrical, but that was hardly shocking given the speaker. The more amusing twist was that his use of the globally preferred term may have become the most praised part of an otherwise divisive appearance.
Still, the actor’s choice of vocabulary was only the first celebrity debate of the day. Another one involved a mystery singer, a bold arrangement, and a performance that left viewers sharply divided.
Tom Cruise’s ceremonial remarks were designed to frame the final as a celebration of global unity. Instead, his distinctly dramatic delivery, and repeated use of “football,” became a story of its own. | Source: Getty Images
