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Global music icons Madonna Louise Ciccone, popularly known as Madonna and Shakira Isabel Mebarak, widely known as Shakira, alongside Korean pop group BTS, will headline a Super Bowl-style half-time performance at the 2026 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup final, organisers announced on Thursday.
The match, set for 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, will feature a half-time show curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, marking the first time such an entertainment segment will be staged at a World Cup final.
The expanded 48-team tournament begins on 11 June across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with football’s world governing body FIFA previously confirming plans to introduce a dedicated half-time spectacle at the final.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino had earlier described the initiative as a historic addition to the tournament, saying it was designed to match the scale and global attention of the World Cup final, while leaving details of performers and format open at the time.
“This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world,” he said.
The concept follows a similar entertainment approach used at the Copa América final in Miami, where Shakira performed during half-time.
Infantino also indicated that additional fan events are planned around the tournament’s closing weekend, including large-scale activations in New York’s Times Square.
