With over 2 billion viewers expected worldwide, FIFA is turning its biggest match into a full-scale entertainment spectacle for the first time in history.
Image Source: Instagram
Madonna, Shakira and BTS will perform during halftime of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final game, Global Citizen and FIFA announced on Thursday, May 14. The performance will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19, the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup Final.
The announcement was made through a video posted across social media, featuring Coldplay frontman Chris Martin alongside Sesame Street’s Elmo and the Muppets’ Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog.
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The halftime show is being curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen, with plans to raise money for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The fund is working to raise $100 million to expand access to education and football for children worldwide and has already secured more than $30 million, with $1 from every ticket sold to World Cup matches being donated throughout the tournament.
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Global Citizen and Martin previously teamed up for last year’s Club World Cup final halftime show, headlined by Doja Cat, J Balvin and Tems.
Two of the three headliners have previously performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. Madonna took the stage at the 2012 Super Bowl, while Shakira co-headlined alongside Jennifer Lopez in 2020.
For Shakira, this marks her second major connection to a FIFA World Cup, following her iconic “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” recorded for the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The Colombian superstar is also going to kick off her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour 2026 in June, with dates on July 14 and July 20 in New Jersey and New York surrounding the World Cup final at MetLife. Shakira is also ready to release the official song of the World Cup, titled “Dai Dai,” later Thursday.
Madonna is gearing up for a busy July, with her Confessions II album, the sequel to her 2005 classic Confessions on a Dance Floor, arriving July 3. She has already released lead single “Bring Your Love,” a duet with Sabrina Carpenter, which the pair live-debuted during weekend two of Coachella last month.
BTS made a major return to music earlier this year with the March 20 release of their sixth studio album ARIRANG, the South Korean group’s first project since going on hiatus for each member to complete their military service.
The 2026 World Cup Final is likely to reach over 2 billion viewers worldwide, compared to the 1.5 billion who watched the 2022 final between Argentina and France live.
No World Cup final has featured a halftime show since the inaugural tournament in 1930, with past finals traditionally including only pre-match entertainment. The addition of a full halftime show marks a significant shift in how FIFA presents its flagship event, bringing it closer in format to the spectacle of the NFL’s Super Bowl.
Last week, FIFA had already announced that Katy Perry, Future, Tyla, LISA and Anitta are going to perform during the 2026 World Cup opening ceremonies across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Perry will headline the opening ceremony in Los Angeles ahead of the US men’s national team’s first game against Paraguay on June 12.
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