FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show: What Happened During First Ever FIFA Halftime Show? | Today’s news
The final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup introduced something the tournament had never presented before: an official half-time show featuring major international music stars.
What happened at the first ever FIFA Halftime Show
Unlike the Super Bowl, where a big musical performance has been a defining part of the event for decades, the World Cup final has traditionally focused on the match itself. That changed on Sunday, July 19, when the finale at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey brought a hallowed musical spectacle during intermission.
Madonna, Shakira and BTS have been announced as co-headliners for the opening half of the FIFA World Cup. The performance was curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who also selected the artists for the event. The show was announced as part of a wider effort by FIFA to expand the entertainment around the final and create a global spectacle beyond football itself.
The decision marked a clear departure from the traditional World Cup finals format. FIFA previously experimented with half-time entertainment during the 2025 Club World Cup, with Doja Cat, Tems and J Balvin performing. However, the 2026 World Cup final was the first time that the organization held an official half-time show specifically for the tournament’s flagship match.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final also attracted a high-profile audience with several celebrities and public figures in attendance.
Among the participants were US President Donald Trump, who was met with boos from some of the crowd, and First Lady Melania Trump. Tom Cruise, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, The Odyssey star Matt Damon with his wife Luciana, Timothée Chalamet with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner or David and Victoria Beckham were not missing.
The guest list also included Serena Williams, Mick Jagger, Dua Lipa, the Muppets, Will Ferrell, Tom Brady, Kevin Hart, Martha Stewart, Victor Wembanyama, Post Malone, Julia Garner, Trevor Noah, Anya Taylor-Joy, two-time Oscar winner Adrien Brody and more.
Taylor-Joy took part in an Argentina jersey, reflecting her Argentinian heritage. During the broadcast, Pharrell Williams was allegedly misidentified by the announcers as A$AP Rocky.
The format also brought the World Cup closer to the Super Bowl-based model, where the halftime show became a major cultural event in its own right. The scope of the first FIFA show reflected this ambition, with globally recognized artists representing different generations and an international audience.
The event was also linked to FIFA’s wider social initiatives. According to the announcement, proceeds from the show went to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and soccer for children around the world.
The opening of the halftime show was not without criticism. The Cure frontman Robert Smith publicly objected to the concept, although he later clarified that his criticism was directed at the idea of a half-time World Cup final rather than the performers themselves.
For the 2026 finals, FIFA has therefore established a new entertainment tradition around its biggest match and for the first time added a dedicated musical production to the final spectacle of the tournament.
