Shakira, Madonna, BTS headline 2026 World Cup final half-time show
Consensus Summary
Shakira, Madonna, and BTS will co-headline the first-ever half-time show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The event, announced by FIFA in March 2025, aims to raise $100 million for children’s education through the Global Citizen Education Fund. Shakira released a teaser for the official anthem, *Dai Dai*, featuring Burna Boy, filmed at Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium. The expanded 48-team World Cup begins on 11 June across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with FIFA also planning a Times Square takeover during the final weekend. While both sources confirm the lineup and key dates, minor naming discrepancies exist for the stadium and show duration details.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Shakira, Madonna, and BTS will co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup final half-time show on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey, USA).
- The show is curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and produced alongside Global Citizen, supporting FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund (aiming to raise $100m for children’s education).
- Shakira released a teaser for the official 2026 World Cup song, *Dai Dai*, produced with Burna Boy, on 14 May 2026, filmed at Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium.
- The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams and kick off on 11 June 2026, hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the half-time show in March 2025, calling it a ‘historic moment for the FIFA World Cup.’
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- FIFA plans to ‘take over’ New York’s Times Square during the final weekend of the World Cup.
- Shakira performed a free concert at Copacabana Beach (Rio) before 2 million people and holds a long association with the World Cup (2006, 2010, 2014 performances).
- The half-time show at the 2024 Copa América (Miami) featured Shakira, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final (MetLife Stadium) had a half-time show exceeding 15 minutes.
- Coldplay’s Chris Martin is seen in a social media post alongside Sesame Street’s Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Muppets characters calling BTS for the show’s promotion.
- Madonna’s new album, *Confessions II*, is due out in July 2026, and BTS released their latest album, *Arirang*, in March 2026.
- The stadium is referred to as ‘New York/New Jersey Stadium’ (likely MetLife Stadium).
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states the show is at MetLife Stadium, while ABC refers to it as ‘New York/New Jersey Stadium’ (likely the same venue but with a different name).
- The Guardian mentions the half-time show at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final stretched ‘in excess of the regulation 15 minutes,’ but ABC does not specify the duration.
Source Articles
Shakira, Madonna and BTS to headline first World Cup final half-time show
Colombian singer last week teased new official tournament song Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating entertainment at MetLife Stadium Shakira, Madonna and K-pop megastars BTS will headline a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the World Cup final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Fifa said Thursday. Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the show, which is a first for a football World Cup final but has raised concerns about how long half-time will be. Continue reading...
Madonna, Shakira and BTS to co-headline World Cup final half-time show
The first-ever FIFA World Cup final half-time show has been announced.