FIFA confirmed on Thursday that global music icons Madonna, Shakira and K-pop supergroup BTS will headline the first-ever halftime show during the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
Curated by Chris Martin, the ground-breaking show represents a significant shift in the presentation of FIFA’s spectacular event, bringing the World Cup finals closer to the entertainment spectacle associated with the Super Bowl in the United States.
Madonna, Shakira and BTS will co-headline the first ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show at the New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19th.
Curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen, the show will raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, pic.twitter.com/H2c2mc9q0b— Coldplay (@coldplay) May 14, 2026
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the line-up via social media, saying that the show would bring together “music, football and a shared commitment to improving the lives of children around the world”.
“The 2026 World Cup final will be a truly special moment,” Infantino said, confirming that the event will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aimed at increasing access to education and football for children around the world.
Co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 and will feature 48 teams for the first time. FIFA expanded the tournament to 104 matches from the previous 64 and introduced an additional knockout round.
The inclusion of a half-time concert during the final could also extend the traditional 15-minute interval, although FIFA has yet to confirm the exact duration of the break.
Halftime entertainment has long been a staple of major American sporting events, most notably the Super Bowl. Madonna headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012, while Shakira performed alongside Jennifer Lopez in 2020.
FIFA already experimented with this concept during last year’s Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, where performances by Doja Cat, J Balvin and Tems accompanied Chelsea’s victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
The 2026 edition is expected to be the biggest World Cup in history, with matches spread across venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico before culminating in the final in New Jersey.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
14 May 2026 14:33 IST
