A major dose of entertainment

FIFA World Cup final to feature first-ever halftime show with Madonna, BTS, Shakira 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is set to get a major dose of entertainment as Madonna, Shakira and BTS have been announced as performers for the tournament’s first-ever halftime show, Billboard said.

Global Citizen made the announcement on Thursday, revealing that the three global music acts will perform during the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 

According to Billboard, the halftime show will run for around 11 minutes.

The announcement was made through a fun social media video featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin along with popular characters like Elmo, Cookie Monster, Kermit and Miss Piggy. BTS also appeared during a FaceTime moment in the video.

According to Billboard, this will mark a special moment in FIFA World Cup history as it will be the first time the final match will include a halftime show similar to the Super Bowl format.

Shakira’s connection with the FIFA World Cup goes back many years. The singer recently announced Dai Dai with Burna Boy as the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.