BTS, Shakira and Madonna to headline World Cup final halftime show

Football’s international governing body, FIFA, announced on Tuesday the line-up of music stars that will feature in the halftime show of the 2026 World Cup final, with Shakira, Madonna, and the South Korean band BTS headlining. The 2026 FIFA World Cup final — set to be hosted at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 — will be the first in the tournament’s history to have a halftime show.  The new format will replace the traditional tournament closing ceremony, which was held before the beginning of the final. Of the three announced artists — all of whom were selected by Coldplay’s Chris Martin in collaboration with FIFA — Shakira is undoubtedly the most closely linked to FIFA and the world of football. The Colombian artist, famous for her popular “Waka Waka”, which was the official song of the 2010 South Africa World Cup, will once again be in charge of the main musical theme this time round, with the song “Dai dai”, which she’ll debut on Thursday. Halftime show However, FIFA’s announcement of a halftime show at the final has proven controversial. Fans and sports journalists alike have criticized the decision to include the show, arguing that it undermines the competition’s identity in what many see as an attempt to emulate the format of the National Football League (NFL). Others have highlighted that the format requires an extended halftime break from football’s usual 15 minutes, which could hurt players’ performance and increase the risk of injuries.  Potential impact on the turf has also been mentioned, as positioning and moving heavy structures and hundreds of people onto the pitch could damage the playing surface. The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11, and Argentina will begin its quest to defend its title on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. They’ll face Algeria in Group J, alongside Austria and Jordan.