"It's not soccer, it's football": Tom Cruise saves the awkward final speech with a magical "one word"... "The speech was a zero, the choice was a perfect score"

*This content was translated by AI.

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise (64) appeared at a pre-match event for the 2026 FIFA North American Cup final and delivered a lengthy speech, but fans reacted coldly. However, he did receive some positive response by referring to football as "football" rather than "soccer."

The UK's The Sun reported on the 20th (Korea time) that "football fans were completely taken aback by Tom Cruise's ridiculous World Cup final pre-match speech."

Spain drew 0-0 with Argentina over the full 90 minutes of the 2026 FIFA North American Cup final held at New York-New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S., on this day. They secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a winning goal by Ferran Torres in the first minute of extra time. With this win, Spain lifted its second World Cup title in history for the first time since the 2010 South Africa tournament, 16 years later.

Before the match, Cruise stood in the middle of the field and drew attention. He began his speech on the theme of unity, saying, "About 30 days ago, 48 countries began their journey, crossing oceans, borders, and cultures. They showed together why this match belongs to the entire world."

However, fans waiting for the football match expressed their dissatisfaction. On social media (SNS), they criticized: "What a ridiculous speech," "Why is Cruise giving a speech at the World Cup final? Please stop it," and "What does he have to do with football?"

On the other hand, non-U.S. football fans cheered over a specific word used by Cruise. This was because during his speech, he referred to football as "football" instead of the American term "soccer." Fans responded enthusiastically with comments such as "Cruise called it 'football,' not 'soccer'," "Take note of this," and "Finally, the (soccer vs. football) debate is over."

Meanwhile, Spain allowed Argentina just one shot throughout the 90th minutes of regular time, perfectly controlling "the god of football" Lionel Messi. They secured the championship with a dramatic winning goal by Ferran Torres in the first minute of extra time. Notably, they conceded only one goal throughout the entire tournament, setting a new record for the fewest goals conceded in a World Cup victory. In addition to winning the tournament with eight matches unbeaten (seven wins and one draw), they also achieved an unprecedented 38-match unbeaten streak in A-international matches, proving the overwhelming dominance of the "Invincible Fleet."

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*This content was translated by AI.