Global music icons BTS, Shakira, Madonna are set to co-headline the first-ever halftime show at the FIFA World Cup Final, announced on Wednesday night.
The announcement came through a special teaser trailer featuring Coldplay frontman Chris Martin alongside beloved Muppet characters including Elmo, Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. In the promotional clip, Martin and Elmo revealed the names of the three global superstars selected to perform at the landmark event.
According to FIFA, proceeds generated from the halftime show will support 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 FIFA World Cup Final is scheduled to take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States. Widely regarded as the world’s most-watched sporting event, the World Cup Final attracted more than 500 million live viewers globally during the 2022 edition, far surpassing the audience numbers of even the most-watched Super Bowl broadcasts.
FIFA previously experimented with halftime entertainment during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which featured performances by Doja Cat, Tems and J Balvin. That lineup was also curated by Chris Martin.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the tournament’s return to the United States for the first time since 1994, a tournament remembered as the most attended World Cup in history. The month-long football spectacle will officially begin on June 11, with broadcasts in the United States set to air on Fox Sports and Telemundo.
