Football history was made on Sunday as the FIFA World Cup 2026 final featured the tournament’s first-ever halftime show at MetLife Stadium.
With the final between Spain and Argentina locked at 0-0 at halftime, some of the world’s biggest music stars took over the stage for an 11-minute performance.
The lineup included Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus.
The historic show was directed by Hamish Hamilton and produced by Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation and Done + Dusted.
Madonna Opened the Historic Performance
Madonna kicked off the halftime show with a high-energy performance.
She was joined on stage by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, bringing together music and football in one of the evening’s most memorable moments.
Her performance set the tone for a star-studded show that featured artists from different parts of the world.
BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira Kept the Energy High
Following Madonna, BTS took over the stage with their performance, drawing loud cheers from the packed stadium.
Next, Justin Bieber entertained fans before handing the stage to Shakira.
Shakira performed alongside Burna Boy, and together they sang “Dai Dai,” the official World Cup anthem they had first introduced during the tournament’s opening ceremony.
Their performance became one of the biggest highlights of the halftime show.
Coldplay Closed the Show
British band Coldplay concluded the historic performance.
The halftime show was curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who helped bring together the international lineup for the special event.
The closing performance wrapped up the entertainment before players returned to the field for the second half of the World Cup final.
Sesame Street and Muppets Characters Also Appeared
The halftime celebration also included appearances by Sesame Street and Muppets characters.
Their participation added a family-friendly element to the event and entertained younger fans watching around the world.
Halftime Show Supported Global Education Initiative
Beyond entertainment, the performance also promoted the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
The initiative aims to raise 100 million US dollars to improve access to education and football opportunities for children across the world.
According to organisers, more than 50 million US dollars had already been raised before the final.
The campaign received support through several fundraising efforts, including one dollar from every FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket sold, which will be directed toward social and educational projects worldwide.
FIFA Introduced Halftime Show for the First Time
The World Cup halftime show marked a major change in FIFA’s biggest tournament.
It was introduced after FIFA and Global Citizen signed a four-year partnership in September 2024.
The collaboration aims to use football’s global audience to raise awareness and funding for education, sport and efforts to reduce extreme poverty.
However, the decision also sparked debate among football fans.
Some critics argued that introducing a halftime concert could increase the commercialisation of the FIFA World Cup and potentially affect the tournament’s traditional 15-minute halftime interval.
Despite the criticism, the show attracted worldwide attention and became one of the most talked-about moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.