Madonna, Shakira and BTS to headline 20-minute World Cup 2026 final half-time show in New Jersey

Madonna, Shakira and K-pop group BTS will co-headline a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, 19 July at New York New Jersey Stadium, with the performance expected to begin around 8:50pm BST (3:50pm ET).

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has modelled the spectacle on American sporting events, with the show designed to run approximately 11 minutes — a figure Infantino has linked symbolically to the 11 players on each team. Combined with the standard 15-minute break, the total half-time interval is expected to stretch to around 20 minutes, which would technically exceed the maximum permitted by football’s laws as set by IFAB.

Justin Bieber has been added to the bill alongside Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus. Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who will also perform as part of a group featuring J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems and Emmanuel Kelly, has curated the show. That ensemble mirrors the line-up from last year’s Club World Cup final at the same venue, where Coldplay’s set ran for 24 minutes.

The closing ceremony, scheduled to begin at 6:30pm BST (1:30pm ET) ahead of kick-off, will feature Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger among its performers.

The final itself is yet to be fully decided. Spain secured their place in Sunday’s match with a 2-0 win over France, while England face Argentina in the second semi-final in Atlanta to determine the other finalist.

The extended half-time format reflects FIFA’s broader push to attract new audiences through the tournament’s co-hosts in the United States, where entertainment spectacles are a central feature of major sporting events.