Madonna, Shakira, BTS to play World Cup final halftime show

· DW

Three major performers from pop, past and present, will perform during halftime of the World Cup final this year. The Superbowl-style pageant will eat into the time to analyze the biggest football game in four years.

The July 19 World Cup final in New Jersey will be the first to include a Superbowl-inspired "Halftime Show," with performances from American veteran Madonna, the Colombian voice of the 2010 and now 2026 World Cup Shakira, and South Korean boyband BTS. 

The curator is Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who announced the lineup in a promotional video featuring characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets on Thursday. 

At 67, Madonna still gets headline billing — and like Shakira she is touring the Americas at presentImage: Pilar Olivares/REUTERS

What did FIFA say about the event? 

FIFA says the event aims to raise money for its FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. A promotional poster visible on the video carried the motto: "The world's biggest stage, an even bigger purpose." 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also shared news of the lineup for the event, which he first announced would take place this March, online. 

"The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show will be a truly special moment, bringing together music, football and a shared commitment to improving the lives of children around the world," Infantino wrote.

Asked at one point during the promotional video whether the show would also feature "surprises" beyond the three headline acts, the Coldplay singer Chris Martin answered in the affirmative. 

The video featured various characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, including Elmo, the Cookie Monster, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Animal on the drums. 

Some BTS members visitied the president of co-host Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, earlier this monthImage: Luis Cortes/REUTERS

Does football have halftime shows? 

The length of the show is not confirmed but some reports suggest it could last around 11 minutes. This could lead either to a longer interval, or little or no chance for broadcasters to revisit the action or air commercials. 

Typically, the halftime break at a football match is only around 15 minutes long. The time is used for a combination of commercial breaks if required or desired, and analysis of the action. 

The Champions League final, for instance, has a pre-match concert, rather than eating into the brief break between the two halves when there is sporting business to discuss. 

Halftime shows or songs are a rarity. Famously, German pop star Helene Fischer performed at half time at the 2017 German Cup (DFB Pokal) final, to audible whistles and boos from supporters in real time in Berlin, and weeks of criticism afterwards. The practice was subsequently abandoned. 

Seemingly nobody thought to ask Helene Fischer or the German FA whether this was a good ideaImage: picture alliance/SvenSimon

FIFA is striking an optimistic note, though, describing the event ahead of time as “a singular moment at the intersection of sport, culture and purpose, broadcast live around the world.”

Edited by: Wesley Dockery