The World Cup final is not only the biggest sporting event of the year but also one of the most exclusive social events on the planet. The MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, will bring together a large representation of heads of state, members of royal families, businessmen, artists, and sports figures, all mobilized in search of a ticket or a VIP invitation, turning the stands into a genuine red carpet.
The sporting rivalry and something more between Spain and Argentina is obviously the main event of Sunday’s final. But the tension in the VIP box, where alongside the FIFA president will be the U.S. president, Donald Trump, the kings of Spain, and the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has a special intrigue. Argentine Javier Milei will not be there, as he usually watches these kinds of matches at home and does not seem willing to risk bad luck by attending in person. The last time Sánchez and Trump met, just a few days ago in Turkey, there was everything. A barrage of criticism in the morning from the American, and a surprising turnaround in the afternoon, after they talked about “football and golf.”
Moreover, the United States offers a particularly favorable setting. The large stadiums, mostly built for the NFL, are designed with the corporate experience in mind: they have dozens of luxury suites, private boxes, exclusive elevators, independent entrances, hospitality rooms, and spaces reserved for sponsors and large companies everywhere, in the stands and terraces. This infrastructure, along with well-trained producers and cameras searching for celebrities, allows hosting thousands of VIP guests and turns the World Cup final into a huge showcase.
A top-level roster
The match will, as always, be a magnet for personalities, authorities, politicians like the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, a fan of Real Oviedo and one of the few truly enthusiastic American officials, or the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Among the big names performing at the start, during halftime, or at the end are top-tier artists: Post Malone, Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, Coldplay (with Chris Martin as the show director) and Gustavo Dudamel.
FIFA counts on Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and the youtuber and tik toker IshowSpeed, who has been in the stands throughout the World Cup and had an unexpected exchange in a box with Ana Patricia Botín and Juan Roig.
Although there are no confirmed lists of attendees, there are a number of regulars everyone counts on: Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, as well as chef José Andrés and his family. Jesús Calleja witnessed the semifinal, and singers like Rosalía and Aitana attended the debut or the aforementioned match against France.
Former players like Iker Casillas, Xavi Hernández, Carles Puyol, Sergio Ramos, or Michel Salgado were always in the boxes. And Joan Capdevila, invited as part of the team that won in South Africa but having trouble entering the U.S., is hoping for a last-minute miracle. Among Telemundo commentators is also Guti, a regular on the pitch.
Everyone counts on David and Victoria Beckham. Brad Pitt, along with his Spanish girlfriend, has been a regular in Los Angeles, where Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Edward Norton, Rob Lowe, Tobey Maguire, and especially Jason Sudeikis, the star of the football comedy Ted Lasso, have also been seen.
Athletes like Tom Brady, cheering for his country and Brazil; Shaquille O’Neal, Canadian Wayne Gretzky, baseball player Aaron Judge, or NBA stars like Jaylen Brown have also been camera targets, and some of them are expected to travel to New Jersey. Novak Djokovic and Kevin Durant were recently at an event with Messi and their attendance is anticipated.
