The FIFA World Cup 2026 introduced a new tradition on football’s biggest stage with the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, transforming New York New Jersey Stadium into a global music event during the championship match. Produced by Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation and Done + Dusted, the 11-minute spectacle supported the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative dedicated to expanding access to quality education and sports for children in underserved communities around the world. The fund has already raised more than $60 million, with one dollar from every World Cup ticket contributing to the campaign throughout the tournament.
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Coldplay frontman Chris Martin served as the international curator of the halftime production, bringing together artists from multiple generations and musical backgrounds for a performance built around football’s global reach and cultural influence.
Madonna opened the historic show with a dramatic entrance through the stadium tunnels, riding in a dune buggy driven by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. She performed a reimagined version of her 2000 hit Music, weaving in elements of Disco Inferno by The Trammps before introducing Danceteria, a track from her latest album Confessions II. The performance connected two decades of her career while setting an energetic tone for the evening.
The production shifted from pop to orchestral performance as conductor Gustavo Dudamel led musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra through an interpretation of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army. Iranian violinist Bijan Mortazavi joined the ensemble alongside members of The Electric Mayhem from The Muppets, creating one of the evening’s most unexpected musical collaborations.
BTS followed with Dynamite, specially adapted with football-inspired lyrics for the occasion. The performance came only hours after the group completed a sold-out concert at Paris’ Stade de France, the venue that hosted the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final. Their appearance highlighted the scale of the band’s current world tour, which returns to the same New Jersey stadium on August 1.
Football culture entered the performance through a surprise appearance by Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, returning as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard before introducing Justin Bieber. Bieber performed an intimate reinterpretation of his 2025 song Everything Hallelujah, adding lyrics inspired by the World Cup and the occasion.
The pace accelerated once again as Shakira and Burna Boy took the stage with Dai Dai, the official anthem of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Wearing Roberto Cavalli, Shakira returned to the World Cup stage for a fourth tournament appearance, joined by Uganda’s Ghetto Kids, whose choreography brought additional energy to the stadium.
One of the show’s most emotional moments arrived through archival footage of Pelé’s final professional appearance at the original Giants Stadium in 1977. Speaking to the crowd, the Brazilian icon declared, “I believe that love is the most important thing we can take from life,” before leading spectators in repeating the word three times. The tribute carried particular significance as this marked the first FIFA World Cup since Pelé’s passing in 2022.
The finale brought together the PS22 Chorus, Sesame Street characters, The Muppets, and performers from throughout the production for We Dance, a new song written by Coldplay specifically for the event. Fireworks filled the New Jersey skyline as Argentine broadcaster Andrés Cantor delivered his signature “GOL!” call, while stadium screens introduced Believe in Love, a new initiative encouraging acts of compassion and support for communities worldwide.
Beyond its entertainment value, the inaugural FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show established a new platform where music, philanthropy, and football intersect. By combining performances from internationally recognized artists with a fundraising campaign supporting education and youth sports, FIFA and Global Citizen used the tournament’s largest audience to spotlight a cause extending far beyond the final whistle.
