Canadian singer Justin Bieber will join Shakira, Madonna, and the K-pop group BTS for the halftime show at the 2026 World Cup final, which will be held on July 19 in New Jersey.
Also performing that day at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey in an 11-minute show will be Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, Burna Boy, the PS22 choir, and Coldplay, according to a statement released Wednesday by FIFA and the Global Citizen platform, whose goal is to end extreme poverty.
The addition of a halftime show—a tradition in American sports—will make the halftime break in the final last longer than the regulation 15 minutes.
The World Cup final show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative that aims to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and soccer for children around the world.
Justin Bieber and the show featuring Shakira, Madonna, and BTS
One dollar from every ticket sold for World Cup matches will go to this fund, which has already raised more than 50 million dollars.
Currently, some 350 million children and adolescents worldwide are out of school, of whom 133 million do not meet the minimum standards in reading and mathematics by the end of primary school.
“The FIFA World Cup brings the world together like nothing else can. I’m grateful to be part of this ‘show,’ especially knowing that it’s already helping to expand access to education for children,” Bieber said in the statement.
For his part, FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that “there is nothing more important than education”: “We are proud that Justin Bieber is joining Madonna, Shakira, and the South Korean group BTS to headline this show in support of the education fund.”
The show will also feature characters from Sesame Street, including Kermit and Miss Piggy from The Muppets, “reinforcing the event’s educational focus,” FIFA and Global Citizen noted, according to Agencia EFE.