Shakira, Madonna and South Korean supergroup BTS will co-headline the halftime show at the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19, 2026, in what organisers are billing as a historic entertainment event.
The performance will be curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and is scheduled to run approximately 11 minutes during the final. Reports suggest, however, that the show could push past the standard 15-minute halftime limit.
That prospect follows a recent precedent. The halftime performance at last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup ran for 24 minutes, well beyond the usual window, signalling a growing appetite from football’s governing body for larger-scale entertainment on the sport’s biggest stages.
FIFA confirmed the show will serve a purpose beyond spectacle. The event will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million to expand education and football access for children across the world.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the three acts as global icons and positioned the halftime show as a celebration of football, unity and humanity.
The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, with the tournament opening on July 11, 2026, and the final concluding the competition eight days later.
