Pop icon Ricky Martin to perform before T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad

Pop icon Ricky Martin will perform ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced the superstar singer as "the headliner for the closing ceremony". The performance is expected to begin after 5.30 pm, with the match scheduled to start at 7 pm.

The Puerto Rican singer primarily sings in Spanish. He is famous for creating the anthem called 'La Copa de la Vida' (The Cup of Life) for the FIFA World Cup in 1998.

He also released a single, 'Vida', for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But the upcoming performance in Ahmedabad will be his first association with a cricket World Cup. He is expected to render a mix of Latin pop and other chart-topping songs.

Soon after Ricky Martin's performance, defending champions and hosts India will take on New Zealand in the title match. India are aiming to be the first team to retain their T20 World Cup title.

In the semifinals, India edged England by 7 runs in a high-scoring thriller at the Wankhede Stadium, while New Zealand crushed South Africa by nine wickets.