Fifa 2026 halftime show revealed: every performer, the setlist and the big moments to watch for

If you thought the World Cup Final could not get any bigger, FIFA just decided to bolt a Super Bowl-style halftime spectacle onto the biggest match on earth. Yes, a full-on show in the middle of the final. It is the first time in the tournament 's 96-year history, and the guest list is... not shy.

When and where to watch (and how the timing actually works)

• Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026
• Kickoff: 3:00 PM ET (halftime starts only once the referee blows for the break, so expect the show to begin around 3:50 PM ET, give or take stoppage time)
• Venue: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament; capacity 80,000+
• How to watch: It is part of the match broadcast, not a standalone special. In the U.S.: FOX (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), streaming on FOX One and the FOX Sports app, plus Peacock for Spanish coverage. In the U.K.: BBC and ITV, with streams on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. In Spain: free-to-air on RTVE (La 1) and RTVE Play; DAZN also has streaming rights to all 104 matches across the tournament.
• Bonus for night owls: That kickoff is 4:00 AM KST on July 20 in South Korea.

Who is actually performing

FIFA is going cross-generational and very global for its first swing at this: Madonna, Shakira, and BTS are sharing top billing. That is three different eras and corners of pop, and the idea is to turn the 15-minute window into a stadium-scale blender of styles and hits.

Coldplay's Chris Martin is not listed as a front-and-center performer, but he is the show's creative curator. His job: stitch the whole thing together so it plays as one continuous performance rather than chopped-up mini sets.

Producers are also leaning into family- friendly cameos with a pretty delightful swing: the Muppets and the Sesame Street cast, including Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, are being worked directly into the show. It sounds wild on paper, but it ties to the event's bigger purpose (more on that in a second).

On the 'maybe' front: Justin Bieber is reportedly in talks and expected to join, though FIFA has not stamped it as official yet. The door is open for more last-minute guest reveals.

What they are playing (what's locked, what is likely)

The set is designed as a fast, continuous medley. A few things are already confirmed or heavily teased:

Confirmed: Shakira and Burna Boy's 'Dai Dai' is in. It is the official 2026 World Cup anthem, and Shakira has said she will perform it. Expect a high-energy Reggaeton/Afrobeats jolt early in the show.

Also confirmed: Madonna's new single 'Read My Lips' featuring Feid, which has been baked into the pre-final promo cycle.

Strongly expected: Shakira weaving in callbacks to 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' and/or 'Hips Don't Lie' because, come on, it is the World Cup. BTS bringing 'Dynamite' and 'Butter' is as close to a sure thing as you can get in pop. And Madonna has a deep bench of stadium-grade anthems — 'Music,' 'Vogue,' maybe even a reimagined 'Like a Prayer' — that scream halftime moment.

Word is the finale will mash the three headliners together for a genre-crossing closer. Given Chris Martin's fingerprints, do not be shocked if a reworked football anthem lands in there — or even a Coldplay classic like 'Viva La Vida' or 'A Sky Full of Stars' adapted to let all three acts plug in.

Why this exists beyond spectacle

The show is produced by Live Nation and Done + Dusted and built to feel fluid and cinematic — not a stack of separate concerts, but one 'mega-mashup' that keeps moving. That approach comes from the top of the creative process.

'He has been working incredibly hard. He reached out to BTS, Madonna, and Shakira, and they built the creative vision for the entire halftime show together,' Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans said of Chris Martin, adding that Martin sees it as a chance to contribute to something bigger than a performance.

That 'something bigger' is a fundraising push with Global Citizen to raise $100 million for children's education through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Shakira is on the board for the fund and has been upfront that, between making songs and building schools, her hope is that the case for investing in education steals the show. BTS have echoed the same idea: using a global stage to connect people through music and direct attention toward education access.

Who is driving the mission piece: FIFA President Gianni Infantino is publicly backing it and has floated an even more ambitious, longer-term goal of raising $1 billion beyond the World Cup window. The board behind the fund includes Infantino, Shakira, and Kaká, with support from Global Citizen heavy-hitters like John Legend.

The odd (and oddly charming) ingredient

Yes, the Muppets and Sesame Street are part of the show. It is a quirky move, but it makes sense if you are aiming a global broadcast at families while pushing an education message. It is also the kind of surprise that can make a slick mega-production feel a little more human in the middle of a pressure-cooker match.

The pushback (because there is always pushback)

Traditionalists are already bristling at what they see as the Americanization of the World Cup. The bigger concern inside the game is practical: can a performance this size be set up and struck within a standard 15-minute break without messing with players' recovery? Broadcasters and team officials are wary of any extensions that could raise injury risk. FIFA's line is that the match stays at the center, and the production is designed to slot into the existing window — but it is a tightrope.

Bottom line

A World Cup Final is already a pressure cooker; now it is a pressure cooker with a massive pop show in the middle. On paper, the lineup is undeniable, the creative plan is ambitious, and the mission gives it stakes beyond fireworks and confetti. If they actually pull off a seamless, start-to-finish medley inside football's most rigid 15 minutes, that might be the most impressive trick of all.

What are you most curious about: the Madonna/Shakira/BTS team-up, the setlist surprises, or whether the field crew can reset in time? Shout it out below.