TL;DR
Shakira, Madonna, and BTS will headline the halftime show at the FIFA World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey. This marks the first halftime performance in World Cup history, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin.
Pop superstars Shakira, Madonna and BTS will headline the FIFA World Cup finalâs halftime show, set to take place July 19 in New Jersey.
Itâs the first time the World Cup soccer final will feature a half-time performance, organizers said, calling it a âsingular momentâ that will be broadcast live around the world.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
The show will be curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who announced the lineup in a video early Thursday, taking suggestions on performers from members of the Muppets, including Elmo, the Cookie Monster and Miss Piggy.
âHow about Madonna? Elmo loves Madonna,â Elmo said, before calling BTS on speed dial to confirm they would join the party.
âShakiraâs in, and sheâs bringing cookies,â Elmo said.
The tournament will be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 through July 19, with 48 countries taking part. Host cities include Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Houston and Seattle, as well as Mexico City, Guadalajara, Toronto and Vancouver.
The final will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19 at 3 p.m.
The acts chosen appear to reflect the global popularity of the game. Colombian superstar Shakira is due to release the official World Cup song, âDai Dai,â on Thursday, which features Nigerian singer Burna Boy. She has also recorded songs for previous World Cups, including âWaka Wakaâ from 2010 and âLa La Laâ from 2014.
Pop legend Madonna is set to release her album âConfessions on a Dance floor IIâ on July 3 and recently appeared with Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella.
K-pop icons BTS made a long-awaited return to the stage in Seoul in March after a nearly four-year hiatus for military service and solo endeavors.
Although halftime shows are a key draw in major sporting events in the U.S., notably the Super Bowl, they are not typical in global soccer. Organizers did not elaborate on the expected duration, but the lineup raises questions about whether it could extend beyond the typical 15-minute window. The International Football Association Boardâs âlaws of the gameâ state that the duration of halftime can be changed only with permission from the referee.
FIFA and Global Citizen, an anti-poverty charity, held a halftime show last summer during the Club World Cup final, which also took place in New Jersey and featured Doja Cat, Colombian singer J Balvin and Nigerian singer Tems. That show reportedly extended to 24 minutes.
This yearâs show will be orchestrated by Martin, who is Global Citizenâs âinternational festival curator,â according to the organization. It will be in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, organizers said, which is working to raise $100 million to expand access to education and soccer for children around the world.