Shakira, Madonna, and K-pop group BTS are slated to headline a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the World Cup final. The event will take place on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, according to Fifa.
First World Cup Half-Time Show
Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the entertainment. This marks the first time a half-time show will be held at a football World Cup final. The move has raised concerns about the potential length of the half-time break.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino had announced plans for a half-time show in March of last year. He stated that this would be a historic moment for the Fifa World Cup. He added that the show would befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.
The move mirrors the half-time show held during the 2024 Copa America final in Miami. Shakira performed at that event, which took place at the Hard Rock Stadium.
There was also a half-time show at last year’s Fifa Club World Cup final, also at MetLife Stadium. That show stretched the break in excess of the regulation 15 minutes.
Shakira’s World Cup Anthem
Shakira recently teased the new official song for the World Cup. She released a brief video of the track filmed at Brazil’s iconic Maracana Stadium.
The singer announced the song, titled Dai Dai, in a post on her Instagram account. Shakira previously created the 2010 World Cup anthem Waka Waka.
In the 67-second video, Shakira appears on the pitch at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. She performed in a free concert at the city’s Copacabana Beach before 2 million people. Holding the Trionda, the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, Shakira performed excerpts of the song in English, joined by dancers dressed in the colours of teams including the US and Colombia.
- The song was produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy.
- It is set for official release on Thursday.
- The clip ends with the message: “We’re ready!”
Shakira has a long association with the World Cup. She performed at the 2006 and 2014 World Cup finals. She also produced Waka Waka for the 2010 tournament.
Supporting Children Worldwide
The half-time extravaganza will support Fifa’s Global Citizen Education Fund. This initiative is working to raise $100m for children worldwide during the World Cup.
The biggest-ever World Cup, with 48 teams, kicks off on 11 June in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Infantino added that Fifa also planned to “take over” New York’s Times Square on the final weekend of the World Cup.