Fifa has announced that Madonna, Shakira and K-pop group BTS will headline the first-ever half-time show at a World Cup final, scheduled for 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The show, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin, mirrors the Super Bowl-style entertainment seen at other major sporting events.
The 2026 World Cup, the largest in history with 48 teams, kicks off on 11 June across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed the half-time show in March 2024, but only now have the performers been revealed. Infantino described it as 'a historic moment for the Fifa World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world'.
The move follows a similar half-time show at the 2024 Copa America final in Miami, where Shakira performed, and last year's Fifa Club World Cup final at the same MetLife Stadium, which extended the break beyond the regulation 15 minutes. The half-time extravaganza will also support Fifa's Global Citizen Education Fund, aiming to raise $100m for children worldwide.
Shakira, who previously performed at the 2006 and 2014 World Cup finals and created the 2010 anthem 'Waka Waka', last week teased a new official tournament song titled 'Dai Dai'. The track, produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy, was previewed in a video filmed at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium and is set for official release on Thursday. The clip ends with the message: 'We're ready!'
Infantino also revealed plans for Fifa to 'take over' New York's Times Square during the final weekend of the tournament.
