Football and music are colliding on the world's biggest stage. FIFA and Global Citizen announced Thursday that Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will co-headline the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup Final, set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The approximately 11-minute performance will be broadcast live to hundreds of millions of viewers around the globe.
"This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world." — FIFA President Gianni Infantino March 2025
Curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation and Done + Dusted, the show is built around the theme of togetherness. Martin teased the star-studded lineup in a playful announcement video featuring Sesame Street characters, the Muppets, and a cameo from BTS themselves.
The halftime show also carries a significant philanthropic mission. For every ticket sold across all FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, $1 will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund — an initiative aiming to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children around the world.
The lineup spans four decades of pop dominance. Madonna, the Queen of Pop, brings unmatched legacy as one of the best-selling music artists of all time and a previous Super Bowl halftime headliner (2012). Shakira, who co-headlined the 2020 Super Bowl alongside Jennifer Lopez, returns to a major global stage as Latin music's most celebrated crossover icon.
BTS rounds out the bill at the height of their long-anticipated comeback. After a nearly four-year hiatus during which all seven members completed mandatory South Korean military service, the group returned in force with their sixth studio album ARIRANG, released March 20. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and held the top spot for three consecutive weeks — their first multi-week chart-topper in the US. Their ongoing ARIRANG World Tour spans over 70 stadium shows through March 2027.
While this marks the first time a World Cup final has featured a halftime show, FIFA tested the concept at the 2025 Club World Cup with J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems — also curated by Chris Martin. The success of that performance paved the way for a far larger production at the 2026 final, signaling FIFA's intent to position music as a permanent fixture in the tournament's most-watched moments.
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