Sunday, " The greatest spectacle on earth will reach its climax "That's the promise from FIFA as, for the first time, a massive concert will be held during halftime of the World Cup final at New York-New Jersey Stadium. Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber, and the South Korean group BTS (among others) will perform for 82.000 spectators and millions of television viewers once the two teams have returned to the locker rooms. This new event is already generating a lot of buzz."
An American specialty
This "half-time show" is in keeping with a very "American" World Cup – as evidenced by the highly controversial dynamic pricing for ticket sales. Despite the criticism, Gianni Infantino has stood by this approach. He even boasted of having " 104 Super Bowls in one month The FIFA president has repeatedly drawn comparisons to the NFL final, and Sunday's show is the culmination of this comparison. The Super Bowl halftime show is sometimes more anticipated than the game itself, and it attracts a large audience, far beyond American football fans.
FIFA tested this show format last summer, during halftime of the Club World Cup final, with J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems. They are now taking it to the next level for the "real" World Cup. Madonna, Shakira, and BTS are global icons whose music transcends borders and unites generations. We are proud to welcome them for this first halftime show of the World Cup final, directed by Chris Martin of Coldplay. "Gianni Infantino declared in the spring. It will be the greatest show in the world, it will be fantastic " he assures. Announced duration of the show: 11 minutes.
Madonna, Shakira and BTS will co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup™ Final Halftime Show at the New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19.
—Coldplay (@coldplay) May 14, 2026
Curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen, the show will raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund,… pic.twitter.com/H2c2mc9q0b
An exceptionally long halftime
FIFA has clearly demonstrated its ambition to make this World Cup a major entertainment event. Even if it means relegating football to the background? The rules of the game clearly stipulate that halftime should not exceed 15 minutes, but there's no doubt that it will go beyond that this Sunday. According to The Athletic, a 20-minute break is expected. Sky Sports, however, is predicting 25 minutes, roughly the same as last year's Club World Cup (24 minutes).
In 2024, the halftime break of the Copa América final lasted 26 minutes due to a Shakira show. Colombian coach Nestor Lorenzo complained about it: I don't understand, I would have preferred it to be like the other matches. (...) The players can get cold. "FIFA is also sending a message by deciding to put one of the fundamental rules of football behind its desire to offer..."entertainmentIn the same vein, it systematized cooling breaks in this World Cup, even when climatic conditions did not require it, which allowed broadcasters to introduce more advertising pages.
