For the first time in the 96-year history of the FIFA World Cup, the final match is getting a halftime show — and they did not come to play. FIFA announced that Shakira, Madonna, and K-pop superstars BTS will headline the first-ever World Cup Final halftime show, set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The announcement itself was delivered in the most disarmingly fun way possible: Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who is curating the show, broke the news alongside Elmo from Sesame Street. In the video, Elmo suggests Madonna, Cookie Monster — mid-cookie — recommends BTS, and Animal makes his feelings about Shakira unmistakably clear. Miss Piggy assumed it would be her, but took the decision gracefully.
The show will clock in at approximately 11 minutes and is being produced by the non-profit Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation and Done + Dusted, with proceeds benefitting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund — an initiative aiming to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and football for children worldwide. One dollar from every ticket sold across all World Cup matches has already been directed to the fund, which has raised over $30 million so far.
Each act brings something enormous to the stage. Shakira is no stranger to the World Cup — “Dai Dai,” her official 2026 tournament song recorded with Burna Boy, dropped the same day as the announcement. It’s her third official FIFA song, following “Waka Waka” in 2010 and “La La La” in 2014. Madonna, who headlined the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show, is releasing her new album Confessions II on July 3 — making the July 19 performance a perfectly timed victory lap. BTS made their long-awaited comeback in March with their sixth studio album ARIRANG — their first since completing mandatory military service — which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for three consecutive weeks, and are currently deep into their ARIRANG World Tour.
“Music is the universal language of hope and harmony, and we’re honored to celebrate that power at the World Cup by connecting with millions of viewers in support of children’s education,” BTS said in a statement. The World Cup kicks off June 11 in Mexico City and runs through the July 19 final.
