Shakira, Madonna, and K-pop megastars BTS are set to headline a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the FIFA World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA announced on Thursday.
The show, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, will mark the first half-time performance ever staged at a football World Cup final, although it has already raised questions over whether the traditional interval could be extended.
The 2026 World Cup, the largest edition in the tournament’s history, will feature 48 teams and kick off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino first revealed plans for “the first-ever half-time show at a Fifa World Cup final” in March last year.
At the time, he did not confirm which artists would perform or how long the show would run.
“This will be a historic moment for the Fifa World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world,” he said on Instagram.
The move follows the entertainment format used at the 2024 Copa America final in Miami, where Colombian superstar Shakira performed during half-time at Hard Rock Stadium.
A similar half-time show also took place at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, where the break reportedly exceeded the standard 15-minute interval.
Infantino also said FIFA plans to “take over” New York’s Times Square during the final weekend of the World Cup.
The half-time spectacle will support FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aiming to raise $100 million for children around the world during the tournament.
Shakira recently teased the new official World Cup song, sharing a short video filmed at Brazil’s iconic Maracana Stadium.
The singer, who also created the 2010 World Cup anthem “Waka Waka,” announced the new track, titled “Dai Dai,” through a post on Instagram.
In the 67-second clip, Shakira appears on the pitch at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, where she previously performed a free concert at Copacabana Beach in front of two million people.
Holding Trionda, the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, Shakira performs excerpts of the song in English alongside dancers dressed in the colours of teams including the United States and Colombia.
The song was produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy and is scheduled for official release on Thursday. The clip, also shared by the FIFA World Cup account, ends with the message: “We’re ready!”
Shakira has a long history with the World Cup, having performed at the 2006 and 2014 finals, as well as producing “Waka Waka” for the 2010 tournament.
