Madonna, Shakira, BTS to headline July 19

FIFA and Global Citizen said on May 14 that Madonna, Shakira and BTS will headline the first halftime show staged at a FIFA World Cup final. The performance is scheduled for July 19, 2026, during the men’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which FIFA refers to as New York New Jersey Stadium. The announcement, made in social media posts cited by multiple outlets, adds three of the biggest names in pop and K-pop to a show FIFA has been planning with Global Citizen since 2024. FIFA has previously said the final itself will be played on Sunday, July 19, 2026, in the New York New Jersey venue. ### Was the original claim about Doha correct? FIFA’s official tournament materials say the 2026 World Cup final will be played in New York New Jersey, not Doha. FIFA’s World Cup 2026 page says the final is set for Sunday, July 19, 2026, and identifies New York New Jersey as the host site. A separate FIFA release on the halftime show partnership with Global Citizen says the event will be held at New York New Jersey Stadium on that date. (usatoday.com) Doha was the host city for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but FIFA’s current schedule for the 2026 tournament places the final in the United States as part of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico event. FIFA says the 2026 competition is the first men’s World Cup to be co-hosted by three countries and the first to feature 48 teams. (fifa.com) ### Who is organizing the halftime show? Global Citizen is producing the show under a partnership announced with FIFA in September 2024. FIFA’s media release said Global Citizen was granted rights to produce the first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show as part of a four-year collaboration tied to education and anti-poverty campaigns. (fifa.com) Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, said in a March 2025 FIFA post that the halftime show would be “a first” in which “sport, music and culture merge to unite the world.” Hugh Evans, Global Citizen’s chief executive, said in the same FIFA post that organizers were targeting an audience of two billion viewers and planned a finals-weekend activation in Times Square. (inside.fifa.com) ### What exactly was announced on May 14? Madonna, Shakira and BTS were named as the headliners in posts and videos published on May 14 by FIFA and Global Citizen, according to reports from USA Today, Billboard and other entertainment outlets. Billboard reported that the show would take place during halftime of the World Cup final and said the event would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. (inside.fifa.com) USA Today reported that FIFA and Global Citizen announced the lineup on Instagram. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin was identified by several reports as being involved in unveiling or helping curate the announcement video. Mashable, citing social posts, said Martin appeared in a video tied to the reveal and described the show as being produced by Global Citizen. (billboard.com) ### Why is this a first for FIFA’s men’s World Cup final? FIFA said in March 2025 that the 2026 final would feature the first halftime show in the history of a men’s World Cup final. The governing body linked that plan to its partnership with Global Citizen and to a broader finals-weekend program in New York. (in.mashable.com) Global Citizen and FIFA have already staged a related event at club level. Global Citizen said J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems headlined the first FIFA Club World Cup final halftime show at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025, an event it said also supported the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. ### What comes next before July 19, 2026? (inside.fifa.com) FIFA’s published schedule says the 2026 World Cup opens on June 11 and ends with the final on July 19. FIFA and Global Citizen have also said Times Square in New York will be used for a finals-weekend fan program on July 18 and July 19, 2026, alongside the bronze-medal match and final. (globalcitizen.org) Global Citizen’s event pages say the halftime show is tied to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise more than $100 million by the 2026 World Cup final. Additional production details, ticketing information and broadcast specifics are expected closer to the tournament. (globalcitizen.org) (fifa.com)