FIFA has confirmed the first-ever World Cup final halftime show, with Shakira, Madonna and BTS set to perform at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, as chosen by Coldplay's Chris Martin
Samuel Meade
07:51, 14 May 2026Updated 07:57, 14 May 2026
This year's World Cup final will look different
This year's World Cup final will look different(Image: Getty Images)
The inaugural World Cup final halftime show will feature Shakira, Madonna and BTS as co-headliners, FIFA has confirmed.
Liverpool fans can look forward to the fusion of Latin, pop and Korean music, which is regarded as a collaboration that most accurately represents global sounds. The World Cup final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Speaking of the United States, Liverpool's preseason tour will take place there after the World Cup.
The halftime show performers were chosen by Coldplay's Chris Martin, who revealed the line-up in a social media video featuring Sesame Street and Muppets characters. He remarked to Elmo: "It's a chance to show how amazing all different kinds of humans are."
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Madonna boasts seven Grammy Awards with a music career spanning decades, while Colombian star Shakira has claimed four of her own. BTS became the first K-pop group to earn a Grammy nomination.
Madonna headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012, and Shakira shared the Super Bowl stage with Jennifer Lopez in 2020.
This format, which has become standard practice in the NFL, will now be introduced to soccer as North America seeks to merge sport with high-profile entertainment.
MetLife Stadium will host the World Cup final
MetLife Stadium will host the World Cup final(Image: Getty Images)
FIFA and Global Citizen staged a trial halftime show at MetLife Stadium last summer during the FIFA Club World Cup final, where Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain.
The spectacle featured American rapper Doja Cat, Nigerian singer Tems and Colombian artist J Balvin.
The performers took to a stage constructed within the stands, though there is speculation that the pitch itself could be utilized this summer, prompting a departure from soccer's traditional schedule.
The halftime interval during the final could therefore be considerably longer than the customary 15 minutes, marking the first occasion that the tournament would set aside the sport's usual quarter-of-an-hour break in favor of entertainment.
During last year's Club World Cup final, the half-time pause stretched to just over 24 minutes, rather than the 15 minutes stipulated in the Laws of the Game, as a direct consequence of the halftime entertainment.
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With the plans now confirmed, several of those involved in the final will need to adjust their usual approach.
Coaches will be required to reconsider how they conduct their team talks given the extended break, while sports science staff will need to assess the impact of the longer interval on player performance.
Broadcasters, meanwhile, will also face a lengthier halftime period, which will inevitably alter their programming and scheduling arrangements.