Madonna, Shakira, BTS To Headline Historic FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show

FIFA and Global Citizen have announced that global music stars Madonna, Shakira and BTS will co-headline the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final.

The landmark performance will take place during the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, 19 July, at New York New Jersey Stadium in the United States. The show will be curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay and broadcast live to millions of viewers worldwide.

According to FIFA, the halftime show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative targeting the raising of 100 million US dollars to improve access to quality education and football opportunities for children across the globe.

More than 30 million dollars has already been generated for the initiative, with FIFA confirming that one dollar from every ticket sold for World Cup matches will go towards social projects worldwide.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the event as a historic moment that would unite football, music and humanitarian impact on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

“Madonna, Shakira and BTS are global icons whose music transcends borders and generations,” Infantino said. “This historic show will also shine a light on a greater purpose by supporting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and our shared mission to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide.”

Popular children’s television characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets are also expected to feature during the performance as part of efforts to promote learning and child development.

Madonna said performing at the World Cup final would be “deeply meaningful”, while Shakira revealed she would perform “Dai Dai”, a song created specifically for the tournament and the education initiative.

BTS also described music as “the universal language of hope and harmony” and said the group was honoured to support children’s education through the global event.