The 2026 FIFA World Cup final introduced a historic first: a Super Bowl-style half-time show that briefly shifted the focus from the pitch to a major musical production. Held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the event transformed the interval between Spain and Argentina into a nearly 30-minute spectacle.
Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the performance featured an array of international stars. Shakira headlined the show, performing "Dai Dai," the official anthem of the tournament. The lineup also included Madonna, BTS, and Justin Bieber, the latter of whom customized his song "Everything Hallelujah" to include the lyric, "It's the World Cup, hallelujah."
In a rare inclusion of classical music for such an event, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel performed alongside the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela's Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. The production necessitated an extensive pitch set-up, extending the break well beyond the standard 15 minutes typically seen in professional football. While the International Football Association Board (IFAB) generally advises against such lengthy intervals, FIFA’s competition regulations permitted the organizers to extend the break to accommodate the performance, set dismantling, and pitch preparation.
FIFA stated that the show was part of a partnership with Global Citizen, intended to raise funds for global education projects. The final, which drew a capacity crowd with ticket prices as high as €35,000, highlighted FIFA’s ongoing strategy to elevate football’s premier match into a global entertainment event designed to reach broader audiences.
