Shakira, Madonna, and BTS to headline the first World Cup final halftime show.

FIFA announced on Thursday that Madonna, Shakira and K‑pop group BTS will headline a Super‑Bowl‑style half‑time show at the World Cup final on July 19, which will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the event, a first for a football World Cup final, though the length of the break has raised questions.

The 2026 tournament, the largest ever with 48 teams, begins on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In March of last year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that the final would feature “the first‑ever half‑time show at a FIFA World Cup final.” He did not specify performers or duration at that time.

“This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world,” Infantino said on Instagram.

The decision follows the 2024 Copa America final in Miami, where Colombian singer Shakira performed at half‑time at Hard Rock Stadium, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, also held at MetLife Stadium, where a half‑time show extended the break beyond the standard 15 minutes.

Infantino also revealed plans for FIFA to “take over” New York’s Times Square during the final weekend of the World Cup.

The half‑time spectacle will support FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children worldwide during the tournament.

Shakira recently teased the tournament’s new official song, “Dai Dai,” in a short video filmed at Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium. The 67‑second clip shows her on the pitch, holding the “Trionda,” the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, and performing excerpts of the track in English while dancers in the colors of teams such as the United States and Colombia join her.

The song, produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy, will be released officially on Thursday. The clip, shared by the FIFA World Cup account, ends with the message: “We’re ready!”

Shakira has a long history with the World Cup, having performed at the 2006 and 2014 finals and created the 2010 anthem “Waka Waka.”

AFP

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