Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FIFA and Global Citizen announced the lineup on May 14, 2026, with Coldplay’s Chris Martin serving as curator.
The final kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX and Telemundo, with the 11-minute halftime show expected to reach a projected 1.6+ billion viewers worldwide. It marks the first time in 96 years of World Cup history that a final will feature a Super Bowl-style halftime performance, with proceeds supporting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
Quick Facts About the FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show
- Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026
- Final Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. BST / 9:00 p.m. CET)
- Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, NJ
- Stadium Capacity: 82,500
- Headliners: Madonna, Shakira, BTS
- Curator: Chris Martin (Coldplay)
- Producer: Global Citizen
- Show Length: 11 minutes
- Stage Location: Purpose-built stage in upper stands (expected)
- US Broadcast: FOX (English), Telemundo/Peacock (Spanish)
- Cause: FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund ($100M goal)
- Expected Final Viewership: 1.6+ billion globally
Who is Performing at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show?
Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will co-headline the halftime show. Chris Martin from Coldplay curated the lineup alongside the band’s longtime manager Phil Harvey, but Coldplay will not perform. FIFA and Global Citizen revealed the trio on May 14, 2026 in a social video featuring Martin alongside characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, with a FaceTime cameo from BTS. The lineup represents three major pop music regions: the United States, Latin America, and South Korea.
Madonna
The Queen of Pop brings four decades of stadium dominance to the World Cup stage. The seven-time Grammy winner is the best-selling female recording artist of all time per Guinness World Records, with over 300 million records sold. Her catalogue includes global anthems like “Like a Prayer,” “Vogue,” and “Material Girl.” Her new album Confessions II releases July 3, 2026, just 16 days before the halftime show.
For full setlist predictions, career stats, and her record-setting 2012 Super Bowl history, see Madonna’s full World Cup 2026 halftime show breakdown.
Shakira
The Colombian superstar has the deepest FIFA history of the three headliners, with previous appearances at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups. Her 2010 track “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” holds the Guinness World Record for most streamed FIFA World Cup song on Spotify with over one billion plays. On May 14, 2026, she released “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy as the official 2026 FIFA World Cup song.
See our official “Dai Dai” song explainer for full lyrics, meaning, and football references, plus Shakira’s complete World Cup 2026 halftime show profile for her FIFA history and career details.
BTS
The seven-member K-pop group from South Korea makes history as the first K-pop act to headline a World Cup halftime show. With 7 Hot 100 number-one singles, 7 consecutive Billboard 200 number-one albums, and 26 Guinness World Records, they are the best-selling Korean act of all time. Member Jungkook previously performed “Dreamers” at the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar.
For all seven members, the Arirang comeback story, and Jungkook’s historic Qatar performance, see the BTS World Cup 2026 halftime show member lineup.
What Time Does the FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show Start?
The World Cup final kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Halftime typically arrives 50 to 60 minutes into the broadcast, depending on stoppage time. That puts the halftime show window at approximately 4:00 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. ET.
The 3:00 p.m. ET kickoff was chosen to allow prime-time viewing across Europe. The match starts at 8:00 p.m. in the UK and 9:00 p.m. across Central Europe. For Asia and Australia, the final airs in the early morning hours of July 20 local time.
The halftime show itself will run approximately 11 minutes, per Billboard. That sits between the traditional 15-minute soccer halftime and the longer 30-minute Super Bowl halftime format. The shorter window means tightly choreographed staging and three back-to-back superstar performances.
Where Will the FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show Stage Be?
FIFA is expected to build a purpose-built stage in the upper stands of New York New Jersey Stadium rather than on the playing surface. This approach preserves the pitch for the second half and avoids damaging the natural grass installed specifically for the tournament.
The strategy was successfully tested at the FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13, 2025 at the same venue. J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems, and Emmanuel Kelly performed from a stage built high in the upper stands during the Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain final, with Coldplay’s Chris Martin closing the set as a surprise guest.
Global Citizen used 40,000 pounds of staging, 4,000 feet of pipe bracing, and LED displays totaling nearly 16 million pixels, all carried by 100 stagehands to the upper stands. The 15-minute halftime show ran without disrupting the pitch, and the total halftime interval stretched to just over 24 minutes.
That extended interval is the template for 2026. The Athletic reported in May 2026 that the pitch itself could also be utilized, though FIFA has not finalized the staging plan. Coaches, support staff, and broadcasters will need to adjust standard routines to accommodate the longer break. Sports science teams must rethink halftime recovery protocols since players will be off the pitch for nearly double the usual time.
The upper-stands stage means cameras will capture wide aerial shots of the stadium during performances. Pyrotechnics, lighting rigs, and confetti cannons get pre-installed days before the match. Setup and teardown become non-issues because the stage never touches the field.
How to Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show: TV Channels & Live Stream
United States broadcast: FOX holds English-language US broadcast rights. The final airs free over the air on the FOX broadcast network with a standard digital antenna. Spanish-language coverage runs on Telemundo, also free over the air. Pre-match coverage starts at 12:00 p.m. ET, three hours before kickoff.
US streaming options: The FOX Sports app carries the live English stream (TV provider login required). Peacock carries the live Spanish stream via Telemundo (subscription required). YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, and Sling Blue carry FOX and Telemundo in most markets. No cable subscription is required, since a $20 digital antenna gets you both FOX and Telemundo free.
International broadcasters:
| Country | English | Spanish/Local |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BBC, ITV | N/A |
| Canada | TSN | RDS (French) |
| Mexico | N/A | TelevisaUnivision, TV Azteca |
| Australia | SBS | N/A |
| Spain | N/A | RTVE |
| Italy | N/A | RAI |
| Germany | N/A | ARD or ZDF |
The final airs free over the air on most of these networks, including BBC, ITV, TelevisaUnivision, TV Azteca, SBS, RTVE, and RAI.
Times Square Viewing Party for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final
FIFA and Global Citizen will “take over” Times Square on July 18 and July 19, 2026, creating the largest free public watch experience for the FIFA World Cup 2026 final outside the stadium itself. The Saturday-Sunday takeover transforms the heart of Manhattan into an open-air fan zone with large screens broadcasting the bronze medal match on July 18 and the final on July 19.
The Times Square activation includes live music performances throughout both days. Four live cross-broadcasts into the global match feed during the final mean fans in Times Square will appear on television screens worldwide. The takeover is free and open to the public without tickets or registration.
Beyond Times Square, FIFA Fan Festival sites in the 16 World Cup 2026 host cities are expected to broadcast the final on large screens, though specific halftime show programming has not been confirmed for those venues. Times Square remains the only confirmed FIFA-and-Global-Citizen-produced public viewing event for the final.
About New York New Jersey Stadium
MetLife Stadium sits in East Rutherford, New Jersey, about 10 miles from Manhattan. FIFA officially refers to it as “New York New Jersey Stadium” during the tournament due to sponsorship naming rules. The open-air venue holds 82,500 fans for the World Cup final and is home to the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants.
The stadium is open air, so weather plays a role. The average temperature at 3 p.m. ET on July 19 in East Rutherford is 83°F (28°C) with a RealFeel index of 89°F (32°C), according to AccuWeather.
The First Halftime Show in World Cup History
No World Cup final has featured a halftime show in the tournament’s 96-year history. The first World Cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay. Past finals included only pre-match entertainment. The 2022 Qatar final featured a closing ceremony with Gims and Ozuna before kickoff. The 2014 Brazil tournament had Carlos Santana and Wyclef Jean perform pre-match. The 2026 final breaks that tradition with a Super Bowl-style production.
The show benefits the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The fund targets $100 million by the final to expand education and football access for children worldwide. As of May 2026, it has raised over $30 million. FIFA donates $1 from every World Cup 2026 ticket to the fund. The four-year FIFA and Global Citizen partnership was announced at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park in September 2024.
How the FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show Compares to the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl halftime show is the benchmark for major-event musical performances. FIFA designed the 2026 halftime show to match Super Bowl scale while keeping the production within soccer’s tighter timing constraints. For context on every Super Bowl performance since 1967, see our complete Super Bowlhalftime show history.
| Element | Super Bowl Halftime | World Cup 2026 Halftime |
|---|---|---|
| Year established | 1967 | 2026 (first ever) |
| Performance length | 12-15 minutes | 11 minutes |
| Total halftime interval | 25-30 minutes | ~24 minutes |
| Stage location | On the field | Upper stands |
| Top US viewership | 133.5M (Kendrick Lamar, 2025) | TBD |
| Projected final viewership | ~120M | 1.6+ billion |
| Producer | Roc Nation / NFL | Global Citizen |
| 2026 venue | Levi’s Stadium (Bad Bunny, Feb 2026) | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| US broadcaster | NBC (2026) | FOX |
| Cause-driven | No | Yes (Education Fund) |
| Performer fee | $0 (NFL covers production only) | Similar model |
Both productions share Coldplay’s Chris Martin as a creative force. Martin headlined the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in 2016 with Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, then curated and made a surprise performance at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 halftime show with Emmanuel Kelly. He now curates the halftime show for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The biggest difference is reach. The Super Bowl peaks around 130 million viewers, almost entirely in the United States. The Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl LIX show set the current record at 133.5 million US viewers in February 2025. The World Cup final reaches a projected 1.6+ billion viewers across every continent, making the 2026 halftime show the most-watched musical performance in history. That global audience is what makes the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund partnership uniquely valuable for fundraising and awareness.
FAQ About FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show
Will the halftime show be longer than a Super Bowl halftime?
No. The FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show will run approximately 11 minutes, per Billboard. The Super Bowl halftime show typically runs 12 to 15 minutes. FIFA opted for a shorter format to stay close to the traditional 15-minute soccer halftime window, though total halftime interval will extend to roughly 24 minutes to accommodate the production.
Will the stage be built on the pitch?
No. FIFA is expected to build the halftime show stage in the upper stands of New York New Jersey Stadium to protect the playing surface. This approach was successfully tested at the FIFA Club World Cup final in July 2025 at the same venue.
Will the halftime show stream on FIFA+?
FIFA has not confirmed whether FIFA+ will stream the halftime show separately from the match broadcast. FIFA+ currently carries highlights, press content, and behind-the-scenes footage but not live matches. The full halftime show will air live on FOX in the US and through international broadcasters worldwide.
What is “Dai Dai” and will it be performed at halftime?
“Dai Dai” is the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem by Shakira and Burna Boy, released on May 14, 2026. FIFA has not confirmed the halftime show setlist, but Shakira performing “Dai Dai” during her segment is widely expected given the timing of both announcements on the same day. For the full song breakdown including lyrics, football legend name-checks, and the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund tie-in, see our official “Dai Dai” song explainer.
Do I need tickets for the Times Square viewing party?
No. The Times Square takeover is free and open to the public without tickets or registration. Attendees should arrive early on July 19, 2026 for prime viewing spots near the large screens, as crowds are expected to be substantial given the historic first-ever halftime show with Madonna, Shakira, and BTS.
What time should I arrive at Times Square for the World Cup final?
The match kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Arriving by noon (12:00 p.m. ET) gives you time to position for the broadcast screens and catch the pre-match programming. The Times Square takeover begins the day before on Saturday, July 18 with the bronze medal match.
Can I record the halftime show legally?
Personal recording for private home use generally falls under fair use in the United States and most countries. Redistributing, uploading, or monetizing recordings of the halftime show without permission violates copyright held by FIFA and the performing artists. DVR recordings on cable boxes and streaming app downloads (where available) are designed for personal viewing only.
What internet speed do I need to stream the World Cup final?
A minimum of 5 Mbps handles standard definition streams. For 1080p HD, plan for 10 to 15 Mbps. Most 4K streams from FOX Sports and Peacock require 25 Mbps or higher. Hardwired ethernet connections deliver more stable streams than Wi-Fi during peak viewership moments like halftime.
Can I get standalone halftime show tickets without a match ticket?
No. Halftime show access is included with a 2026 World Cup final ticket. FIFA does not sell separate halftime-only entry. Most primary FIFA tickets sold out in 2025. Remaining options include the official FIFA Resale Marketplace and verified secondary marketplaces.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show on July 19 marks a turning point for global sports entertainment. Madonna, Shakira, and BTS bring three continents of pop dominance to a single 11-minute stage, all in service of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund’s $100 million target. Watch free on FOX or Telemundo from 12:00 p.m. ET on July 19, 2026.