For the first time ever, the FIFA World Cup final will feature a star-studded halftime show.
In what is being compared to a Super Bowl spectacular, the performances are set to be broadcast live to millions of soccer fans.
The 2022 final in Qatar was the most-watched in FIFA World Cup history, attracting 1.5 billion viewers around the world. This yearâs final in New Jersey is expected to break those records.
Curated by Coldplayâs Chris Martin, the halftime show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has promised âa historic moment for the World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.â
With the World Cup underway in its three host countriesâCanada, Mexico, and the U.S.âhereâs what you need to know about the finalâs hotly-anticipated halftime show.
Fireworks go off at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on Dec. 18, 2022. Richard HeathcoteââGetty Images
When is the World Cup final halftime showâand how can I watch it?
The show will take place during the FIFA World Cup final which is set to start at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19.
Itâs happening at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which is temporarily being called the New York New Jersey Stadium due to the World Cupâs rules on endorsements.
In the United States, viewers will be able to watch the show live on Fox Sports, with the match airing on the FOX network.
Spanish-language viewers can watch through NBCUniversalâs Peacock streaming service with a Premium or Premium Plus subscription. The match will also air on Telemundo.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a free World Cup final watch-party for 50,000 New Yorkers.
âYou donât need to drop thousands of dollars to watch the World Cup final. And you don’t need to be a professional to play in the World Cup. You just need to head to Central Park,â Mamdani said.
Madonna performs during the Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Feb. 5, 2012. Kevin MazurââGetty Images
Who is performing at the FIFA World Cup halftime show?
The show will be co-headlined by Shakira, Madonna, and K-pop supergroup BTS.
Shakira, who also led the line-up for the tournamentâs opening ceremony in Mexico City on June 11, serves on the advisory board of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
Shakira and Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy partnered up for this yearâs official World Cup anthem, âDai Dai.âÂ
Royalties from the song will support the education fund, with Sony Music pledging to match the first $250,000 raised with a donation.
Shakira will be joined by the Ghetto Kids, a Ugandan dance troupe that rose to prominence following appearances on Americaâs Got Talent in 2024.
Shakira is no stranger to either the World Cup or halftime performances. In 2010, she cemented her place in soccer culture with Waka Waka, the chart-topping anthem of that tournament.Â
Madonna also has experience leading a halftime event, as she famously headlined the 2012 Super Bowl show.
BTS, the seven-person K-pop group who recently returned to the scene following a three-year hiatus to complete mandatory military service obligations, will be taking the night off from their global tour to perform at the soccer event of the year.
K-pop boy band BTS perform onstage during comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, on March 21, 2026. Kim Hong-JiââGetty Images
Why has Global Citizen partnered with FIFAâand how is Chris Martin involved?
The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund aims to support grassroots programs in more than 200 countries, expanding access to education and soccer.
The initiative is âaiming to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and football [soccer] opportunities for children worldwide.âÂ
Global Citizen has previously partnered with governments, businesses, and entertainers on large-scale fundraising efforts, such as the Stand Up for Ukraine event launched in 2022.
Martin became involved after he reached out to the initiative during the previous World Cup.Â
âFour years ago, at the time of the Qatar World Cup, Chris Martin called me and said, âwouldnât it be amazing if we could do a halftime show for the World Cup, because it is this moment that brings all of humanity together,ââ explained Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans.
When asked whether Martin himself would perform at the halftime show, Evans did not confirm either way, but said that the audience is in âfor some big surprises.â
Eva Marie UzcateguiâGetty Images
International hesitations over the halftime show
British television networks BBC and ITV, which are broadcasting the World Cup for U.K. fans, are reportedly considering not airing the halftime show in real-time.Â
Instead, the broadcasters are expected to stick with their traditional format of using the slot to air commentary from pundits analyzing the first half of the match.
The performances would instead be viewable via the networksâ respective digital platforms.
The interval for soccer matches is typically timed to 15 minutes. Itâs understood FIFA has yet to confirm exactly how long the halftime show will be.
TIME has contacted the BBC and ITV for comment.
