FIFA confirmed on Wednesday that Madonna, BTS and Shakira will perform at the first halftime show in World Cup final history. The show will take place during the 2026 World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
FIFA announced the lineup through a video across social media. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin appeared alongside Sesame Street characters Elmo, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Animal to reveal the performers.
“But this show is more about we than me. I mean, it’s about togetherness,” Martin said in the video.
FIFA has expanded entertainment around its major tournaments over the last two years, following the introduction of a halftime performance during the Club World Cup final in 2025.
That event featured J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems. FIFA organised both productions with Global Citizen, while Martin worked on the creative direction.
The move brings football closer to the American-style event model seen in the Super Bowl and other major US sporting occasions. NCAA Basketball’s Final Four also introduced a live “bridge show” earlier this year with The Chainsmokers.
Shakira already holds a strong link with the World Cup after performing “Waka Waka” during the 2010 tournament in South Africa. FIFA now adds Madonna and BTS to a final expected to draw one of the largest global television audiences of the year.
The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. It marks the first men’s World Cup hosted by the United States since 1994.
