Popular streamer IShowSpeed kickstarted the World Cup final blockbuster with a surprise appearance in the FIFA closing ceremony following a morning of chaos in the buildup to the football extravaganza.

Defending champions Argentina bid to secure a second successive World Cup triumph in a showdown against Spain in front of 80,000 clamoring fans, including President Donald Trump, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.

Yet, even before the first kick of the game, the spectators inside the stadium, as well as the billions watching from home, were treated to an eye-catching spectacle, designed to pay tribute to all of the competing 48 nations from the tournament.

A bevy of Hollywood's finest had been billed as performers with Tom Cruise expected to headline the event, which took place 90 minutes ahead of kickoff.

It was YouTuber IShowSpeed who stole the show, however. The content creator - who has over 58 million subscribers on YouTube and streamed multiple matches - stunned fans by launching into song.

He had been listed as a performer but he surprised viewers when he began performing an original song, Champions, which was on the official 2026 World Cup album, amid a colorful array of backup dancers in neon tracksuits.

However, fans were left underwhelmed at the bizarre display with many bemoaning the lack of creativity while others questioned why a content creator was given the honor of performing on the world's biggest stage.

'Such an underwhelming closing ceremony. Zero creativity just artists singing,' one wrote on X.

'The lip syncing for these closing ceremony performances is horrific,' another shared.

'ishowspeed was so random,' said a third, while another baffled viewer branded it 'unreal scenes.'

'Imagine telling someone a few years ago that ishowspeed is gonna perform at the world cup,' added a fifth.

Mission Impossible star Cruise has been spotted in the stands throughout the tournament and performed a stunt at the Paris Olympics' closing ceremony

His specific role had initially been unclear, with FIFA merely teasing it as a 'special appearance'.

'Echoing the spirit of the opening ceremonies, which welcomed the world to the greatest stage in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the closing ceremony will bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 full circle through music, culture and football, before we kick off the highly anticipated match that will crown the champions of this groundbreaking tournament,' Heimo Schirgi, the World Cup's chief operating officer, had said before the tournament.

This year's showstopper is bigger and better than ever with the star-studded event also boasting the first-ever World Cup halftime show, featuring the likes of Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.

The ceremony took place following a morning of chaos in New York and New Jersey as thousands of fans descended on the Big Apple region for the final.

Those lucky enough to have clinched a ticket - or forked out $10,000 for one - were urged to arrive up to four hours before the start of the game at the 80,000-seater stadium, a short drive outside of Manhattan.

FIFA encouraged fans to arrive early in order to participate in the World Cup closing ceremony, scheduled to begin around 90 minutes before the game itself kicks off.

But it has become standard procedure for fans to arrive even earlier for additional security checks whenever Trump attends a sporting event - lest they risk missing kickoff.

Trump has made it to plenty in his second term as President, ranging from the Ryder Cup to the Super Bowl, and his attendance often means lengthy delays for fans with airport-style security measures enforced for everyone making their way inside of the venue.

Delays on Sunday, however, were compounded amid reports of glitches in FIFA's ticket-scanning system, meaning those who were fortunate enough to be at the front of the long lines still faced frustrating delays.

Daily Mail also witnessed tensions simmering between fans, media members and security staff, with officials on the ground telling anyone who complained: 'Take it up with FIFA'.

But those members of security staff also appeared to be confused over how to manage the thousands of people arriving for the game.

There were multiple instances of organizers on the ground misdirecting people over where they should begin lining up to enter the stadium with over three hours to go until the start of the game.

Media members also faced extra checks from the secret service given the need to bring laptops and filming equipment inside of the stadium. DHS police and state police were also seen at the venue.

This all played out as other fans decided to leave it late to get to the stadium. With four hours to go until the game began, many supporters were still at Penn Station in Manhattan waiting to board a train into New Jersey and towards the stadium.

The game is set to be the most expensive to attend in the history of sport - on Sunday morning, the cheapest ticket available on most resale websites was starting at around $7,000.

There weren't quite as many issues for the VIP guests, though. Cruise was pictured sauntering into the venue - renamed as 'New York/New Jersey Stadium' for the tournament - ahead of his anticipated appearance in the closing ceremony.

Soccer greats such as Brazil World Cup winner Ronaldo, former England captain John Terry and former Argentina player Diego Simeone all appeared carefree as they entered the stadium in good time before the game.

Lionel Messi and Co are hoping to seal back-to-back titles after winning the tournament in Qatar four years ago, while Spain have not won the World Cup since 2010.

At the end of the match, a new stage will be erected on the pitch to see either Messi or Rodri lift the World Cup for their country.

It is expected that Trump will be granted the honor of handing the trophy over to the victorious team.

The President carried out the same duties during the Club World Cup final, which also took place at MetLife Stadium.

He left the winning Chelsea stars, including Cole Palmer and Reece James, stunned when he remained on the stage throughout their celebrations.