Madonna, Shakira and K-pop band BTS will headline the first-ever World Cup final halftime show this summer.
The lineup was announced on Wednesday night, less than a month before the soccer showpiece kicks off in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The World Cup final, which will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, is one of the biggest events in sports. Four years ago, Argentina beat France in front of a live global TV audience of 570million.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino last month promised fans that the halftime show ‘will be fantastic’ but his idea has been met by opposition among many within soccer.
FIFA enlisted the help of Coldplay front man Chris Martin to select the headliners and he has chosen some of the world’s biggest artists.
Madonna, 67, has won seven Grammy Awards and her 15th studio album – Confessions II – is set to be released in July.
Madonna, Shakira and BTS will headline the first-ever World Cup final halftime show
BTS, seen here in Mexico City, became the first K-pop group to receive a Grammy nomination
The 2026 World Cup final will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19
Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, 49, recently released the official World Cup song, ‘Dai Dai,’ alongside Burna Boy. She previously performed at a concert ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
BTS, meanwhile, is a seven-strong boy band who in 2020 became the first K-pop group to ever receive a Grammy nomination.
‘The show will raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, improving access to quality education and football for children around the world,’ read a statement from Coldplay.
Madonna and Shakira have both previously performed at Super Bowls but this will be the first time that the World Cup final has included a halftime show.
The announcement was made in a viral video that featured Coldplay star Martin as well as characters such as Elmo, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Animal. ‘This show is more about we than me,’ Martin said in the clip. ‘It’s about togetherness.’
Earlier this month, FIFA revealed who will perform ahead of the first game in each of the three host countries, with Katy Perry among those chosen for the USA’s opening match against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
The last time the World Cup came to the US, in 1994, Diana Ross headlined the opening ceremony while Whitney Houston had a 25-minute set at the closing ceremony.
The three tenors Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras also performed at Dodger Stadium during the tournament, which was won by Brazil.
