Madonna, Shakira, BTS set for World Cup final halftime show
Madonna, Shakira, and K-pop group BTS will headline a Super Bowl-style halftime show at the FIFA World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, organizers announced on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the show, which marks the first time a halftime performance will be held at a World Cup final.
The 2026 World Cup, the largest in history with 48 teams, will begin on June 11 and will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino first revealed plans in March last year for “the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final,” although he did not provide details on performers or the duration of the show or halftime break at the time.
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He described the event on Instagram as “a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.”
The initiative follows similar entertainment formats seen in other tournaments, including the 2024 Copa America final in Miami, where Shakira performed at halftime at Hard Rock Stadium.
A halftime show also took place during last year’s FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, which extended the halftime break beyond the standard 15 minutes.
Infantino also said FIFA plans to “take over” New York’s Times Square during the final weekend of the tournament.
Shakira recently teased the official song for the 2026 World Cup by posting a short video of the track filmed at Brazil’s iconic Maracanã Stadium.
The singer, who previously performed the 2010 World Cup anthem “Waka Waka,” announced the new song titled “Dai Dai” on Instagram.
In the 67-second clip, Shakira appears on the pitch at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, where she recently performed at a free concert at Copacabana Beach attended by an estimated two million people.
Holding the official 2026 World Cup match ball, “Trionda,” she performs parts of the song in English alongside dancers wearing the colors of several national teams, including the United States and Colombia.
The track was produced in collaboration with Nigerian artist Burna Boy and is scheduled for official release on Thursday. The video, also shared by FIFA’s official World Cup account, ends with the message: “We’re ready!”
Shakira has a long history with the World Cup, having performed at the 2006 and 2014 finals and producing the iconic 2010 anthem “Waka Waka.”
By Nijat Babayev
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