MIAMI — Madonna, Shakira and K-pop superstars BTS will headline the first-ever World Cup final halftime show, FIFA announced in an Instagram post on Thursday.
The World Cup Final is set for July 19 at New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium and is expected to draw millions of viewers worldwide on top of its attendees.
World Cup 2026 kicks off June on 11 in Mexico City with matches to be played in multiple locations across the US, Canada and Mexico..
Pre-match performances at showpiece occasions such as the Champions League final have become commonplace, but this will be the first half-time show at a World Cup final.
Colombian pop star Shakira is releasing her official World Cup song Dai Dai — an Italian phrase meaning “let’s go” or “come on” and also featuring Nigerian singer Burna Boy — on Thursday.
The 49-year-old Hips Don’t Lie singer also released Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
Madonna is the best-selling female music artist of all time and is preparing to release her 15th album, Confessions II, on 3 July.
In April, the 67-year-old “Queen of Pop” made a surprise guest appearance during Sabrina Carpenter’s headline set at the Coachella music festival for a duet of Vogue and Like A Prayer.
Meanwhile, the seven members of BTS are the best-selling music act in South Korean history, with more than 45 million albums sold. They and Coldplay had a UK number three hit with My Universe in 2021.
The band have been making their comeback after a three-year music hiatus to complete their mandatory military service, and will be in the middle of an 85-date world tour when they perform at the final.
In March, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the show “will be a historic moment for the Fifa World Cup, befitting the biggest sporting event in the world”.
The half-time show has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and will raise money for the Fifa Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100m (£73m) for children worldwide.
Source: Saudi Gazette