FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to give fans a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. The football organisation made a massive announcement of revealing the names of artists who are set to perform during the upcoming tournament's finale. Madonna, Shakira and BTS are set to co-headline FIFA's first-ever halftime show, the International Federation of Association Football revealed on May 14. Infact, the announcement was made in the most creative manner, through a star-studded teaser video featuring Coldplay frontman Chris Martin alongside beloved Muppet characters including Elmo, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Animal. In what is being seen as a historic fusion of global sport and pop culture, FIFA's line-up blew up the internet within minutes of reveal.
FIFA, Coldplay reveal artists line-up for halftime
FIFA took to its social media handles, and posted a slide video with the caption, "The world's biggest stage. An even bigger purpose. On July 19, the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final Halftime Show is coming to New York New Jersey Stadium," along with tagging the artists.
Coldplay uploaded the corresponding teaser video that included a skit of Christ martin with the aforementioned muppets. It further wrote, "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. Curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen, the show will raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, improving access to quality education and football for children around the world."
FIFA Halftime teaser video
In the clip, Martin and the Muppets are discussing who to rope in. As Madonna and Shakira's name come up, the Coldplay member makes a video call to BTS to get their confirmation. The mobile screen shows the seven members - RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook giving their nod to the offer.
About FIFA and its halftime performance
The halftime performance will take place during the FIFA World Cup Final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium. The stadium, located in New Jersey, is expected to host one of the largest live audiences of the year, while hundreds of millions of viewers around the world tune in for the global event.
What does Madonna, Shakira, BTS co-headlining mean?
The announcement of featured artists marks a major shift in how the World Cup final is being presented, bringing the spectacle closer to the entertainment-driven model at par with the Super Bowl. Interestingly, each of the three performers represents a different era and region of global music dominance. While Madonna remains one of the most influential pop icons in history, Shakira has long been associated with football culture given her previous World Cup anthems such as Waka Waka. BTS, meanwhile, brings unprecedented international K-pop power to the stage, further cementing the genre's role in mainstream global entertainment.
Chris Martin's role
The show is being developed in partnership with Global Citizen, with Chris Martin helping curate the performance lineup. Martin previously worked with FIFA during the 2025 Club World Cup, where Doja Cat, Tems and J Balvin performed during a halftime entertainment experiment that paved the way for this larger production.The halftime show is aimed at supporting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and football for children around the world.
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