Franck FIFE / AFP
Tom Cruise has been announced as a "performer" at the FIFA World Cup Final
Despite the fact that his upcoming movie Digger does not release in movie theaters until October 2, Tom Cruise’s marketing campaign has already begun. The release of the first trailer for the film earlier this week has seemingly kicked Cruise into promotion mode.
After the trailer was released earlier this week, the iconic Top Gun and Rain Main star sat down with a bunch of movie journalists and content creators to discuss the film, and was announced as a “performer” at the World Cup Final on Sunday. Wait, what?
Opening the Final with a star-studded list of performers 🤩#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 14, 2026
What kind of “performance” is Tom Cruise going to do at the World Cup Final?
Now, Tom Cruise has done things like this before (surprise, surprise). During the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Cruise jumped from the top of the Stade du France to accept the official Olympic flag from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, with LA hosting the summer games in 2028.
That, however, was to promote Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning — a franchise known for its high-flying stunts. In the realm of Tom Cruise logic, it made sense.
Digger, on the other hand, is set to be a black comedy satire that features Cruise as a an elderly out-of-shape oil tycoon — far from the set-piece cinematic of the Mission: Impossible franchise.
So with that in mind, what kind of performance could Cruise possibly be putting on at the World Cup Final? He certainly won’t be singing — Rock of Ages is one of the worst-reviewed movies of his career.
While it’d be on-brand, it’d also be hilarious if Cruise did an over-the-top physical stunt like jumping out of a plane or doing a backflip to promote Digger, a movie from Babel, Birdman, and The Revenant director Alejandro Iñárritu because that’s all he knows how to do. Tom. Must. Jump.
both teams must play against him https://t.co/nB6R29td6b
— aden (@celluloidlimes) July 14, 2026
he bouta do a backflip out of a helicopter and piss me OFF https://t.co/rIvzqYP4an
— #1 (@myralists) July 14, 2026
Tom Cruise taking down the referees because they’re part of Infantino’s syndicate. https://t.co/h4jzQqbOEw
— Michael🍿 (@QTalksFtbl) July 15, 2026
In addition to Cruise, Digger — hitting theaters on October 2 — also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Jesse Plemons. Check out the official trailer below.