World Cup 2026 halftime show details: Madonna, Shakira, BTS to headline first ever FIFA final performance

World Cup 2026 halftime show details: Madonna, Shakira, BTS to headline first ever FIFA final performance originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 World Cup will break new ground in more ways than one.

This year's tournament will be the biggest and longest in history, with a 48-team field competing over five weeks across three host countries.

Fittingly for a sports event taking place in North America, it will also be the first ever World Cup whose final will include a halftime show.

Curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay, the show at MetLife Stadium will feature Madonna, Shakira, and BTS as its headline acts and will form part of a FIFA charity initiative.

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Who is doing the World Cup 2026 halftime show?

The three headline acts for the World Cup final halftime show are Shakira, Madonna, and BTS.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin appeared in a social media video with children's TV character Elmo to make the announcement.

Has there been a FIFA World Cup halftime show before?

This will be the first time a World Cup final has included a halftime show.

FIFA president Gianni Infatino said it would be "a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup, befitting the biggest sporting event in the world".

The show has been earmarked as a fundraising event for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which seeks to $100 million for children worldwide.

How long is the World Cup halftime show?

According to the BBC, the halftime show will last approximately 11 minutes.

Typically, halftime of a soccer game has a duration of 15 minutes.

Who is BTS?

BTS is a South Korean K-Pop boy band. The members are Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook.

The band's name is an abbreviated form of the Korean phrase 'Bangtan Sonyeondan', which translates to 'Bulletproof Boy Scouts'. However, in 2017, the group said the name would also stand for "Beyond The Scene", recognising their personal and musical development.

BTS, who recorded the single My Universe with Coldplay in 2021, are on a comeback tour this year after pausing to complete mandatory military service in South Korea.

BTS most popular songs

BTS' most popular songs — "Dynamite", "Butter", and "Boy With Luv" — have amassed nearly four billion streams on Spotify.

The band has been hugely important in the modern rise in popularity of South Korean culture in North America and western Europe. They have amassed millions of social media followers and a huge, highly organised fan following known as ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth).

They have won numerous awards both in Asia and abroad and became the first Korean act to top the Billboard artist and album charts in 2018.

What is the Shakira World Cup song?

Colombian singer Shakira will release her official World Cup song, called "Dai Dai", on May 14. The record is a collaboration with Burna Boy.

The 49-year-old's "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" was the official World Cup song for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

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