Football just got its Super Bowl moment. For the first time in the history of the FIFA World Cup — 96 years of tournaments, 22 editions, billions of fans — the World Cup final will have a halftime show. And FIFA did not start small.
BTS. Shakira. Madonna.
Three of the most iconic names in global music history will share the same stage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19, 2026 — during the halftime break of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final. The show will be watched live by an estimated five billion people worldwide, making it the most viewed musical performance in human history.
This is not just a World Cup story. This is the biggest concert event of 2026. And it happens at the intersection of football and music in a way the world has never seen before.
Here is everything you need to know.
The Official Announcement — How It Was Revealed
Madonna, Shakira and BTS will perform during halftime of the World Cup final, Global Citizen announced on Thursday May 14.
The announcement was made in a way that perfectly captured the scale and spirit of the event. FIFA and Global Citizen announced the three global superstars will co-headline the historic performance, and the announcement video featured Coldplay frontman Chris Martin alongside characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets — with a FaceTime cameo from BTS. Between Kermit the Frog and seven of the biggest pop stars on the planet, it was the most unexpected and joyful announcement in World Cup history.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.”
A World First — Why This Has Never Happened Before
FIFA has announced that for the first time the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 will include a Super Bowl-style concert.
For over nine decades, the World Cup final halftime break has been exactly what it sounds like — a break. Players walk off the pitch, coaches give their team talks, fans buy drinks and food, and 15 minutes later the second half begins. No performances. No spectacle. Just football.
That changes forever on July 19, 2026.
Soccer’s governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.
The final halftime, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will be produced by the non-profit Global Citizen and benefit the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Throughout the tournament, $1 from every ticket sold to World Cup 2026 matches will be donated to the Fund.
This is not just entertainment — it is the biggest philanthropic moment in sporting history combined with the biggest musical performance in sporting history. All in one 11-minute show.
How Long Is the Halftime Show?
The show will clock in at 11 minutes according to Billboard.
This is shorter than a typical Super Bowl halftime show — which runs 12 to 14 minutes — and deliberately designed to respect football’s traditional 15-minute interval.
Evans told the Associated Press that everyone involved wanted to ensure the performances would be “significantly shorter than the 15-minute mark” — the traditional interval in a match. “Soccer fans around the world can be rest assured knowing that we’re very respectful of the game,” Evans said.
Eleven minutes. Three of the biggest artists in history. One stage. Five billion viewers.
Who Is Performing — Full Breakdown
Shakira — The Queen of World Cup Music
Shakira’s name had already been linked to this year’s World Cup with the announcement of “Dai Dai,” her official 2026 World Cup song with Burna Boy.
But her connection to World Cup music goes far deeper than one song. Shakira has been the soundtrack of football’s greatest moments for two decades. She performed “Hips Don’t Lie” at the 2006 closing ceremony in Germany. She released the iconic “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” for South Africa 2010 — one of the best-selling singles in history. She delivered “Dare (La La La)” for Brazil 2014. No artist in history is more synonymous with World Cup music than Shakira.
Shakira said she will perform “Dai Dai” at the halftime show — the song she created for this World Cup.
Shakira said at the conference that she has spent her entire adult life “making songs and building schools,” referring to her nonprofit Barefoot Foundation’s work. “Finally, during this World Cup, those two paths meet.”
She also added — with a smile — that she is hoping her homeland of Colombia makes it to the World Cup final so she can cheer them on from the stage.
Shakira co-headlined the Super Bowl halftime show with Jennifer Lopez in 2020 — one of the most watched Super Bowl performances in history. She knows exactly how to command a stage of this scale.
Madonna — The Queen of Pop Returns
Madonna called performing at the final “deeply meaningful.”
At 67 years old, Madonna remains one of the most iconic and controversial figures in the history of popular music. Her inclusion in the halftime show lineup is a statement — this is not a young artist’s showcase. This is a celebration of music across generations.
Madonna headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012 at Indianapolis — a performance that drew over 114 million viewers and remains one of the most watched musical events in American television history. She knows the Super Bowl stage. Now she takes the World Cup stage.
Madonna is also gearing up for a busy July, with her Confessions II album — the sequel to her 2005 classic Confessions on a Dance Floor — arriving July 3. She has already released lead single “Bring Your Love,” her duet with Sabrina Carpenter, which they live-debuted during weekend 2 of Coachella.
Arriving at the World Cup final two weeks after releasing one of the most anticipated albums of her career, Madonna will be at peak momentum on July 19.
BTS — Seven Members, One Historic Stage
The 2026 final will mark the first time all seven BTS members perform together at a soccer event.
BTS’s inclusion is the element of this lineup that has sent social media into complete meltdown. The seven-member South Korean group — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — are the biggest boy band in the history of the world by almost every measurable metric. Their fanbase, the ARMY, is one of the most dedicated and digitally active communities on the planet.
BTS made a major return to music earlier this year with the March 20 release of their sixth studio album ARIRANG, the South Korean group’s first project since they went on hiatus for each member to complete their military service. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 and stayed there for three straight weeks — their first multi-week number one on the chart. Last month they kicked off their ARIRANG WORLD TOUR in Goyang, South Korea, before bringing the trek to the US on April 25.
BTS are not just returning — they are at the peak of their second era. Fresher, more mature and more global than ever before. Their World Cup final performance will be watched live by hundreds of millions of fans who have never watched a football match in their lives.
Their complex, synchronized choreography requires a completely flat, highly specialized protective flooring over the grass turf. Representatives from the South Korean music industry confirmed that the group is preparing entirely new musical arrangements. Their performance segment will merge traditional Korean cultural elements with ultra-modern Western pop production.
Who Is Curating the Show — Chris Martin’s Vision
The show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who came up with the idea four years ago while watching the previous World Cup.
According to Martin, the whole thing will be “all about togetherness… and everyone’s invited.”
The show is produced by Global Citizen alongside Live Nation and Done + Dusted.
Martin’s vision is deliberately inclusive — three artists representing three completely different generations, three different cultures and three different corners of the global music map. Shakira represents Latin America and the Global South. Madonna represents Western pop’s greatest era. BTS represents Asia and the new global digital generation. Together they represent the entire world — which is exactly what a World Cup final should feel like.
The Charity Behind the Show
This halftime show is not just entertainment. The performance will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aimed at raising $100 million to expand access to education and football opportunities for children around the world. FIFA says more than $30 million has already been raised, with $1 from every World Cup 2026 ticket sold going toward social impact projects globally.
For Arab fans, this has personal relevance. The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund specifically targets underserved communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America — regions that include the Arab world. Every ticket sold at this World Cup contributes directly to children’s education in these communities.
What This Means for Arab Fans
The World Cup Final halftime show has particular significance for Arab and Middle Eastern football fans watching from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and across the Gulf.
Shakira performed in the Middle East as part of her El Dorado World Tour and has enormous popularity across the Arab world. Her “Waka Waka” anthem is still sung at Arab football fan zones to this day. Hearing her perform “Dai Dai” — a song co-written with Nigerian superstar Burna Boy that blends Afrobeats with Latin rhythms — will be a celebration felt across the entire Arab world and Africa simultaneously.
BTS have a significant and passionate ARMY fanbase in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and the UAE. For millions of young Arab fans who follow K-pop, July 19 is not just a World Cup final — it is the concert of a generation happening at the world’s biggest sporting event.
The halftime show begins at 3:11 PM ET on July 19 — which is 11:11 PM Doha time. A perfect time for Arab fans to be watching.
How to Watch the World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show
The performance will be broadcast live from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to millions of viewers worldwide.
In the USA: Fox and FS1 broadcast the final in English. Telemundo broadcasts in Spanish. Both will show the halftime show live.
In the UK: ITV broadcasts the final free-to-air. The halftime show will be shown live.
In the Arab world: beIN Sports holds broadcasting rights for the entire tournament including the final and halftime show across Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and the wider Arab world.
Online: The Fox Sports app, ITV Hub and beIN Sports Connect all stream the final live including the halftime performance.
Need To Know
Who is performing at the World Cup 2026 Final halftime show?
BTS, Shakira and Madonna will co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final halftime show on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The show is curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen alongside Live Nation and Done + Dusted.
When is the World Cup 2026 Final halftime show?
The World Cup 2026 Final takes place on Sunday July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:00 PM ET — 11:00 PM Doha time. The halftime show begins approximately 45 minutes after kickoff — around 3:50 PM ET and 11:50 PM Doha time. The show runs for 11 minutes.
Is this the first ever World Cup Final halftime show?
Yes. The 2026 World Cup Final is the first time in FIFA World Cup history — 96 years of the tournament — that the final has featured a halftime show. It follows the model of the Super Bowl halftime show which has featured artists including Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Bad Bunny.
Will all 7 BTS members perform at the World Cup 2026 Final?
Yes. All seven BTS members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — will perform together at the World Cup Final halftime show. This is the first time all seven members have performed together at a football event. BTS member Jungkook previously performed solo at the 2022 Qatar World Cup opening ceremony.
What song will Shakira sing at the World Cup 2026 halftime show?
Shakira has confirmed she will perform “Dai Dai” — the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem she created with Burna Boy — at the halftime show. She may also perform other songs from her extensive World Cup catalogue including “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).”
How long is the World Cup 2026 halftime show?
The World Cup 2026 Final halftime show will run for approximately 11 minutes — deliberately kept under the traditional 15-minute football halftime interval to respect the game. The producers confirmed the performances are designed to be “significantly shorter than the 15-minute mark.”
What charity does the World Cup 2026 halftime show support?
The halftime show supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund which is raising $100 million to expand access to quality education and football for children around the world. More than $30 million has already been raised. One dollar from every World Cup 2026 ticket sold goes directly to the fund.
Conclusion
The World Cup 2026 Final halftime show is the moment football and music merge on a scale the world has never seen. BTS bringing their seven-member spectacle to the world’s biggest stage. Shakira performing the anthem she was born to sing. Madonna proving at 67 that she remains the Queen of Pop. All of it in 11 minutes. All of it on July 19. All of it watched by five billion people.
For football fans it is one more reason to love this World Cup. For music fans it is the concert of a generation. For the children who will benefit from the $100 million education fund — it is something far more important than entertainment.
The final whistle blows at 45 minutes. Then the music begins.
July 19. MetLife Stadium. 11:11 PM in Doha. Do not miss it.
Want to know everything about the World Cup 2026 Final venue? Read: USA World Cup 2026 Complete Schedule — All Matches, Venues and Times
Who will play in the Final? Read: World Cup 2026 Favourites to Win — Top 10 Predictions
Which performer are you most excited to see — BTS, Shakira or Madonna? Tell us in the comments! ARMY fans — we want to hear from you!