This is how the World Cup final will be: a halftime show, rings for the champions and a stadium that Messi already knows well

The Argentine national football team has arrived in New Jersey to prepare for what will be its most crucial match yet, the World Cup final following the tournament held in Qatar. The squad, led by coach Lionel Scaloni, reached the area late Thursday night and conducted training sessions Friday at the New York Red Bulls' facilities. Later that day, Scaloni and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez will hold their final press conference in Manhattan. Meanwhile, fans from across the United States and Argentina have begun traveling by air and land to attend the event. The FIFA organization continues to finalize preparations for a grand spectacle tailored to the host nation's style, which will be broadcast globally. This World Cup, the longest and most expensive in history, will feature a finale with a typical American flair. The ceremony preceding the final will begin one and a half hours before kickoff. At 1:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. in Argentina), several high-profile performers are set to take the stage, including Tom Cruise, Post Malone, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, IShowSpeed, and Robbie Williams. Jennifer Hudson will perform the U.S. national anthem, a song previously played only during matches involving the American team. It remains unclear whether an Argentine artist will perform the anthem for the world champions. Spain’s anthem, meanwhile, lacks lyrics. Additional entertainment highlights include appearances by Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and the Korean pop group BTS. The main attraction of the halftime show will mirror the format used annually during the Super Bowl, the most-watched sporting event worldwide. During the interval, a stage will be erected on the field for a performance lasting approximately 11 minutes. Madonna will serve as the headlining act, followed by Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS. The performances will be directed by Chris Martin of Coldplay. Another novelty introduced by FIFA is the presentation of championship rings to the winners. According to FIFA, each ring will be part of a strictly limited edition consisting of just 2,026 individually numbered pieces, directly referencing the tournament itself. Of these, 30 will be given to the winning team, while the remaining 1,996 will be available to fans worldwide as officially licensed merchandise, allowing supporters to obtain a unique piece of World Cup history. Each ring will feature one side displaying the FIFA World Cup trophy and the other personalized to reflect the identity of the victorious team. Every ring will be individually numbered, custom-fitted, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The final will be held at the MetLife Stadium, which was renamed Estadio Nueva Jersey Nueva York for this World Cup. This venue was chosen over two other major U.S. stadiums: the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Opened in 2010, this stadium will host the Argentine team for the seventh time, with Lionel Messi playing a central role. Here, he scored an unforgettable hat-trick against Brazil in a friendly match that Argentina won 4–3 in 2012. It was also the site where the captain missed a penalty during the Copa América Centennial 2016 shootout, leading to his exit from the team, a decision he later reversed, marking the beginning of his most successful period wearing the Argentine jersey.