FIFA made a history by hosting its first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show during the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and the star-studded 11-minute performance brought together a global lineup of music and entertainment icons. The event also served a charitable purpose for benefiting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to expand access to education and sports for children in underserved communities worldwide.
The show opened with Pop icon Madonna at the age of 67 performing her hit "Music" alongside Brazilian football legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. The performance then transitioned to the Muppet band Electric Mayhem played The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army."
K-pop superstar group BTS followed with a performance of "Dynamite" before actor Jason Sudeikis (in character as Ted Lasso) and Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) introduced Justin Bieber. Performing acoustically on guitar. Bieber sang "Everything Hallelujah" from his 2025 album Swag II.
Latin pop icon Shakira and Nigerian artist Burna Boy then took the stage to perform "Dai Dai" the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup. The grand finale featured the PS22 Chorus a group of over 50 fifth graders from Staten Island performing Coldplay's original song "We Dance" alongside Coldplay, the Muppets and Emmanuel Kelly.
The halftime show is combined with FIFA’s pledge to donate $1 from every ticket sold across all 104 tournament matches has raised $60 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. FIFA and Global Citizen recently announced 31 grant recipients across 18 countries to support youth education and sports initiatives.
The inauguration of a World Cup halftime entertainment show drew widespread praise from fans and sports figures alike also with many taking to social media to compare the spectacle favorably to traditional NFL Super Bowl halftime performances.
