2026 FIFA World Cup Final: How much will Shakira, Madonna, BTS and Justin Bieber earn for the half-time show? | Today’s news
Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is expected to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year, but the action won’t be limited to the football pitch. The championship will also feature a star-studded halftime show with performances by Shakira, Madonna, BTS and Justin Bieber, making it the first World Cup final to feature a Super Bowl-style musical spectacle.
The long-awaited performance also raised questions among fans about how much artists are paid to perform at one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
According to MARKperformers will not receive a fixed fee to perform at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime. Instead, the arrangement is said to follow a model similar to the Super Bowl halftime show, where organizers cover production, staging and logistics costs, rather than artists paying a conventional performance fee.
The report says the “real” compensation for artists such as Shakira, Madonna, BTS and Justin Bieber comes in the form of a global unveiling, with the event expected to be watched by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
Such visibility often translates into increased music streams, album sales, social media engagement, and other commercial opportunities in the weeks following the show. According to the report, artists are also given a small stipend during rehearsals.
MARCA noted that this approach is not new. Artists performing at previous FIFA World Cup ceremonies also agreed to participate without receiving a traditional performance fee, opting instead to take advantage of the worldwide publicity associated with the tournament.
The report added that musicians appearing at major sporting events have historically seen significant growth across their digital platforms following performances, with spikes in streaming and online engagement often outweighing the value of a one-time payment.
The halftime show itself is expected to last approximately 11 minutes, according to reports.
Despite its relatively short duration, the organizers are expected to pack the show with elaborate production, choreography and music, bringing together four globally recognized actors of different generations and genres.
The musical extravaganza will take place during the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, with football fans from around the world expected to watch both the title-deciding clash and the entertainment spectacle.
Neither FIFA nor the artists have commented publicly on the reported compensation arrangement.
If the report is accurate, the final World Cup halftime show would once again underline the growing trend of major sporting events offering artists unrivaled global reach in lieu of hefty performance fees, with artists often seeing the exposure as a long-term commercial opportunity.
