Vanessa Obioha
FIFA is fully embracing music at the 2026 World Cup, having announced earlier today the performers for the first halftime show at a World Cup final. The lineup, featuring Madonna, Shakira, and BTS, blends pop, Latin, and K-pop acts, reflecting the diversity of football’s global audience.
The artists are some of the biggest names in global music, with expansive discographies and massive fan bases that cut across generations and continents. Madonna remains one of pop music’s most influential figures, while Shakira’s long association with football, particularly through the 2010 World Cup anthem “Waka Waka,” has made her a familiar face among football fans. BTS, meanwhile, continues to represent the growing global influence of Korean pop music.
Music has always been part of sports. In most football tournaments, performances are often limited to opening or closing ceremonies, but that is beginning to change. Last year, FIFA and Global Citizen conducted a trial run at MetLife Stadium during the final of the FIFA Club World Cup with performances from American rapper Doja Cat, Nigerian singer Tems and Colombian star J Balvin. The artists performed from a stage woven into the stands.
Halftime performances are a staple of the American Super Bowl, transforming the NFL championship into both a sporting and cultural spectacle. Over the years, the stage has hosted some of the world’s biggest stars, from the late Michael Jackson and Beyoncé to Dr. Dre. The performances have also become major advertising and cultural moments that attract audiences beyond sports fans.
FIFA now appears to be borrowing from that playbook as it seeks to expand the cultural appeal of the World Cup. Scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the final of the quadrennial football tournament is expected to draw hundreds of millions of viewers globally, following the more than 500 million live viewers recorded during the 2022 World Cup final.
The artists for the World Cup halftime show were selected by Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, who shared the lineup in a video on social media that featured characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets.
If the format succeeds and becomes a permanent feature, Nigerian artists could also benefit as Afrobeats continues to expand its global reach. The inclusion of Tems in last year’s Club World Cup halftime performance already signalled the growing influence of Nigerian music on international stages.
