Photo Credit: Gabriel Argudo Jr. / CC by 2.0
The FIFA World Cup final halftime show will feature headliners BTS, Madonna, and Shakira performing at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19.
FIFA has announced the lineup for the FIFA World Cup final halftime show, which kicks off at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. BTS, Madonna, and Shakira are all slated to perform at one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The World Cup starts on June 11 in Mexico City and the final takes place in New Jersey on July 19.
Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the World Cup final halftime show is staged in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million to expand access to education and sports for children around the world. FIFA noted that throughout the tournament, a dollar from every ticket sold to World Cup 2026 matches will be donated to the fund.
“Every child should have the opportunity to dream, and together we can help make that possible,” posted FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Instagram, noting that the Global Citizen Fund tie-in would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.”
In American football, the Super Bowl is, of course, famous for its halftime show, with this year’s headliner Bad Bunny, and previous headliners like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Kendrick Lamar. But such a spectacle is not common in other sports, including soccer. Headliners like BTS, Madonna, and Shakira are major gets for the event; the inclusion of the latter two artists further capitalizes on their success at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
However, the World Cup final isn’t the only event joining in on the concept of a big musical performance. The Champions League final will feature a pre-match concert featuring The Killers, who will headline European club soccer’s major game in Budapest between Paris Saint-Germain and London’s Arsenal.
In the U.S., viewers can watch the FIFA World Cup on Fox in English and Telemundo in Spanish. In the UK, the BBC and ITV share broadcasting rights.
