FIFA announced on Wednesday that Madonna, BTS and Shakira will headline the first-ever halftime show during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, adding a Super Bowl-style entertainment addition to soccer’s biggest championship match.
The performance is scheduled for July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the World Cup final will be played. FIFA’s official page confirmed the lineup in a social media post, describing the event as a “historic moment” for the tournament.
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The halftime concert is being produced in partnership with Global Citizen and will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children’s education and football-related programs worldwide.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans are helping curate the show, according to FIFA. Organizers said the event would also include fan activities around New York’s Times Square during the final weekend of the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest edition of the tournament in FIFA history, featuring 48 teams.
Halftime performances are uncommon in international soccer finals, where the standard break between halves typically lasts 15 minutes. FIFA did not immediately clarify whether the World Cup final halftime would be extended to accommodate the concert.
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Shakira has longstanding ties to FIFA events after performing “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. K-pop act BTS has previously participated in international sporting and promotional events including vocalist Jungkook performing in the opening ceremony for FIFA 2022, while Madonna has headlined major global live productions throughout her career.
The announcement drew widespread attention online as fans reacted to the unusual crossover between soccer and large-scale live entertainment. FIFA has increasingly expanded entertainment programming around its major events in recent years, including music performances before tournament finals and ceremonies.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 through July 19 across 16 host cities in North America, and this entertainment element is set to bring in more excitement to the fans around the world.
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That picture does not belong to the BTS members.