The final, which will take place at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, will feature an 11-minute performance during the interval – a major departure from FIFA’s traditional approach to the tournament’s showpiece match.
While pre-match performances are becoming increasingly common at football’s major finals, FIFA has never previously staged a Super Bowl-style concert during the match itself.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the show earlier this year as “a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup, befitting the biggest sporting event in the world”.
All three of the performers have their own incentive to get back on the world stage. More than 500 million live viewers watched the 2022 final.
Shakira – who already has history with FIFA with the knockout success of 2010’s ‘Waka Waka’ – will likely perform her new FIFA-linked single Dai Dai featuring Burna Boy.
Madonna, meanwhile, is preparing to release a new album in July – which may well debut at the halfway stage of the most-watched sports event on earth – while BTS are currently in the middle of a global comeback tour following a three-year hiatus following mandatory military service in South Korea.
The half-time show, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children’s education programmes worldwide.
Martin unveiled the bill via a social media video featuring characters from Sesame Street. He previously helped curate the inaugural halftime performance at the FIFA Club World Cup final held at the same venue in 2025.
In addition to the halftime spectacle, FIFA is staging three separate opening ceremonies across the United States, Canada and Mexico, each featuring a distinct slate of artists tailored to the host nation.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected], additional reporting by [email protected]