The 2026 expanded FIFA World Cup, the largest iteration of the tournament in history with 48 competing nations, is set to add a groundbreaking new cultural centerpiece to its decider, FIFA announced Thursday in a press briefing. When the tournament culminates on July 19 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, the first-ever World Cup final halftime show, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, will take the stage headlined by three of the biggest names in global music: pop legend Madonna, Colombian international icon Shakira, and Korean pop sensation BTS.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino called the three co-headliners global trailblazers whose work unites audiences across borders and age groups, expressing the governing body’s pride in welcoming them to this historic first for men’s World Cup. The star-studded lineup will also include surprise guest appearances from beloved characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, with the entire event serving as a platform to advance FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative that aims to raise $100 million during the tournament to support children’s access to education worldwide.
For the artists involved, the opportunity carries deep personal and global meaning. Madonna called the chance to perform in support of expanding global education a deeply meaningful experience, while BTS emphasized in a joint statement that music acts as a universal language of hope and global harmony, noting the group was honored to leverage the World Cup’s massive global audience to connect with millions and advance the cause of children’s education. Shakira, who has a long-standing connection to FIFA’s flagship tournament, will take the stage to perform the 2026 World Cup’s official song, “Dai Dai”, which is scheduled for its full official release Thursday.
Shakira is no stranger to World Cup audiences: she created and performed the iconic 2010 tournament anthem “Waka Waka”, and most recently headlined the halftime show for the 2024 Copa America final in Miami. Last week, she gave fans a first preview of her new World Cup track in a 67-second teaser video filmed at Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Maracanã Stadium. In the clip, which was shared across FIFA’s official social channels, Shakira stands on the Maracanã pitch holding Trionda, the official 2026 World Cup match ball, performing snippets of “Dai Dai” in English alongside backup dancers wearing colors representing participating nations including the United States and Colombia. The teaser ended with a rallying cry: “We’re ready!” The track was produced in collaboration with Nigerian Afrobeat star Burna Boy. The teaser came weeks after Shakira drew a crowd of 2 million fans to a free open-air concert on Rio’s Copacabana Beach.
The 2026 World Cup, the first edition of the tournament co-hosted by three nations (the United States, Canada, and Mexico), will kick off on June 11, with three separate opening ceremonies, one hosted in each host nation: the first will take place in Mexico on opening day, followed by ceremonies in Canada and the United States the next day. A host of other global music stars will perform across the three opening events, including Katy Perry, Future, Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, J Balvin, and Blackpink’s Lisa. Infantino also added that FIFA has plans to transform New York’s iconic Times Square for a major fan engagement event during the tournament’s final weekend.
While the announcement has generated widespread excitement among football and music fans alike, it has also sparked questions over logistics, particularly regarding the length of the halftime break. Infantino first unveiled plans for a “world-class halftime show befitting the biggest sporting event on the planet” last year, and the concept was tested at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, also hosted at MetLife Stadium. That trial run saw the halftime break extend well beyond the 15-minute regulation break mandated by tournament rules, leaving fans and analysts wondering how the longer show will impact the flow of the final. To date, FIFA has not released any official details on the scheduled run time for the 2026 final halftime performance.