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FIFA and nonprofit Global Citizen announced Wednesday that Shakira, Madonna and K-pop supergroup BTS will headline the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final. The historic performance will take place July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The lineup was revealed in a playful announcement video featuring Coldplay frontman Chris Martin alongside Sesame Street characters Elmo, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Cookie Monster, who noted that BTS's hit "Butter" happened to be both his favorite song and his favorite cookie ingredient.
BTS, whose seven members recently completed mandatory military service in South Korea, are currently riding high on the success of their fifth studio album "ARIRANG," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in March. The group is presently on a world tour with upcoming stops in California and Las Vegas.
Madonna, the Queen of Pop, performed alongside Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella last month and is set to release her highly anticipated album "Confessions II" on July 3, just weeks before the final.
Shakira, the best-selling female Latin artist of all time, is no stranger to the World Cup stage. She famously performed "Waka Waka" at the 2010 tournament in South Africa and has since released "Dai Dai," the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup, featuring Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
According to FIFA, the halftime show will raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, aimed at improving access to quality education and soccer for children around the world.
Chris Martin, who helped produce the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup halftime show in 2025, is also involved in curating this one.
The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with matches kicking off June 11.
