2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show

Did You Know?

• The show included a pre-recorded segment of Madonna performing 'Music' with Brazilian former soccer players Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in a jeep.
• Streams of Justin Bieber's 'Everything Hallelujah' increased by 34% in the United States the day after the show.

Background

Before the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show headlined by Usher in February 2024, Greg O'Keeffe of The Athletic questioned whether a similar performance would suit soccer tournaments like the FIFA World Cup or UEFA Champions League. Marketing consultant Tim Crow, who works with brands sponsoring FIFA and UEFA, noted that organizations had pushed to extend halftime with such opportunities in mind. In 2024, Global Citizen co-founder Hugh Evans suggested to FIFA president Gianni Infantino a halftime show for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, viewing it as a chance to learn and to launch the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

The show was announced in June 2025 as the World Cup's first halftime show, produced with Global Citizen and Chris Martin of Coldplay, curator of the Global Citizen Festival. Evans and Martin also discussed the idea with producers including Hamish Hamilton and Ben Winston. On September 28, 2024, FIFA and Global Citizen announced a four-year agreement to help end extreme poverty and increase access to sports and education for children, and simultaneously announced co-production of the first halftime show for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.

On March 5, 2025, FIFA announced that Coldplay would help select performers. Infantino called it a historic moment, and Evans said the show would merge sport, music, and culture.

Announcement

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show lineup was announced on May 13, 2026, with Madonna, Shakira, and BTS as headliners, joined by the Muppets and Sesame Street characters. The reveal came through a social media video featuring Martin alongside the Muppets and Sesame Street characters. Live Nation Entertainment and Done+Dusted were named co-producers. That same day, the lineup was presented at the Global Citizen NOW Summit in New York City, where Infantino, Evans, footballer Kaká, and Shakira were present.

FIFA and Global Citizen stated the show aimed to raise $100 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Global Citizen sources told The Athletic that Madonna, Shakira, and BTS would not receive performance fees, donating their time to the organization. Madonna called the opportunity deeply meaningful, while Shakira said she had spent her life making songs and building schools. On May 20, 2026, Shakira announced on Instagram that the Ghetto Kids from Uganda would join her performance.

On July 8, 2026, FIFA added Justin Bieber as a headliner, with Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, PS22 Chorus, and Coldplay as guest performers. On July 14, 2026, Variety reported the show would include the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dudamel, as a tribute to Venezuela after the 2026 earthquakes. Guy Carrington of Done+Dusted hinted at additional surprises beyond what had been announced.

Development

The show was directed by Hamish Hamilton, who had directed every Super Bowl halftime show since 2010. Preparation lasted months in cooperation with all acts, with Carrington describing it as a tight, highly coordinated mega-mix. Martin engaged acts from different countries to create a moment of collaboration and unity. To protect the grass, producers planned to lay a big cloth over the pitch and required all participants to wear lightweight footwear.

The performance area, including staging and camera dollies, was designed for quick installation and removal within three to four minutes. Production rehearsals took place in Miami, where the team tested the protective cover and its impact on the grass. On May 14, 2026, BBC Sport reported the show was planned to be 11 minutes long. The Atlantic reported that FIFA planned to use the MetLife Stadium playing field, unlike the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final halftime show held on a stage in the stands.

The interval was expected to run beyond soccer's 15-minute regulation. On July 14, 2026, BBC Sport reported the halftime would last 20 to 25 minutes, with the 11-minute show starting after the normal 15-minute break; The Atlantic added that FIFA targeted no longer than 20 minutes. On July 17, 2026, broadcasters were told the halftime would be 18 minutes, including 7 minutes for stage installation and 11 minutes for the show. Ultimately, the halftime lasted 27 minutes and 22 seconds.

For Shakira, Fausto Puglisi of Roberto Cavalli designed a two-piece set with crisscross neckline, side cutouts, fringe satin chiffon strips, a molded skirt, and over 200,000 Swarovski crystals, taking two weeks to create with over 120 hours of embroidery. Shakira invited Énola Bédard after seeing her video dancing to "Dai Dai".

Reception

The show's announcement sparked controversy among media and the soccer community, seen as an Americanization and commercialization of soccer. Ben Church of CNN said soccer purists viewed it as far removed from the sport's origins. Concerns arose about violating the International Football Association Board rule that an interval cannot exceed 15 minutes without the referee's permission, as a longer interval could affect players' routine and recovery.

Halftime shows for the 2024 Copa América final and 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final each reached 24 minutes. Crow noted that football differs from the NFL, which has more stoppages and separate offensive and defensive teams, and questioned how players would stay warm and tuned for 30 minutes. He added that U.S. sports are built on a commercial model to sell TV advertising, while in Europe there may be lower audience tolerance for ads. Sports journalist Gabriele Marcotti said professional footballers are conditioned to 15-minute breaks and that messing with their routine risks stiffness or other issues.

Conversely, Crow described the show as another culture clash in a tournament full of them, noting that for Americans entertainment and sports go hand in hand, and asking why a host nation should not stamp its identity on matches. He remarked on FIFA's collaborations with Shakira and the appeal of BTS and Madonna. Marcotti opined that football must evolve and that FIFA is a commercial corporation whose national associations vote for Infantino to generate revenue and redistribute it globally.