Tom Cruise made friends with Elmo and Cookie Monster.
On July 19, the Mission: Impossible star made an appearance during the inaugural ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with his farewell speech to both teams. The official X account for Sesame Street shared an adorable picture with Tom Cruise on Sunday. They also stated a caption, “Elmo made a new friend at the game!! Mr. Tom Cruise!!!”.
Cruise reflected on the journey of the tournament, which began with 48 nations before reaching its showdown between Spain and Argentina. He pronounced the names of both finalists in Spanish, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
Read More: Tom Cruise delivers inspiring speech at FIFA World Cup 2026 Final.
The actor described football as a sport that crosses borders and unites people from different cultures. Cruise noted, “Football is a language spoken without words”. He continued, “a force that unites people. A force that turns strangers into friends and reminds us of what we all have in common”.
His speech celebrated the global spirit of the World Cup and the shared passion the tournament creates among fans regardless of nationality. In his concluding speech, Cruise noted that his appearance by urging supporters to celebrate the success of the competition and the unity it had inspired over the past month.
Elmo made a new friend at the game!! ⚽ Mr. Tom Cruise!!! pic.twitter.com/lywyY8BRGJ
— Elmo (@elmo) July 19, 2026