Madonna, BTS, Shakira to perform at FIFA World Cup final halftime show

FIFA has announced a first-ever World Cup halftime show featuring Madonna, BTS and Shakira as co-headliners, with proceeds supporting global education initiatives. The event will debut during the FIFA World Cup Final in New Jersey, alongside expanded entertainment programming

Los Angeles: Queen of pop Madonna along with K-pop phenomena BTS and Grammy winner Shakira are all set to co-headline the first ever FIFA World Cup halftime show. The news was shared by the International Federation of Association Football. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Elmo announced the news in a teaser trailer for the World Cup halftime show.

Joined by Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and several other familiar faces from the Muppet crew, Martin and Elmo handpicked BTS, Madonna and Shakira as the co-headliners, reports variety.com.

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The teaser also announced that proceeds made from the show will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is “a landmark initiative working to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and football for children worldwide,” according to FIFA.

The FIFA World Cup Finals take place on July 19 in New Jersey. FIFA first experimented with half-time entertainment by bringing in Doja Cat, Tems and J Balvin for the 2025 Club World Cup. That trio was also selected by Martin. The last time the FIFA World Cup was hosted in the United States was in 1994, and it was the most attended World Cup in history.

For 2026, the festivities kick off on June 11. Bollywood’s dancing diva Nora Fatehi will be seen performing and singing at the upcoming opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto, Canada. The Opening Ceremony, which will take place on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto.

She is joined by names such as Michael Bublé, Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Sanjoy, Vegedream, and William Prince.

As per fifa.com, the ceremony begins with a journey across Canada, as the countdown unfolds through moments that reflect the country from coast to coast to coast. A sense of welcome builds, carried by the people and their shared excitement, inviting the world to be part of this historic moment.