FIFA World Cup 2026™ Topps Final Halftime Show Makes History with Co-Headliners Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and Burna Boy, BTS, the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay and Gustavo Dudamel
FIFA World Cup 2026™ Topps Final Halftime Show Makes History with Co-Headliners Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and Burna Boy, BTS, the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay and Gustavo Dudamel
First-Ever FIFA World Cup™ Final Halftime Show Included Performances by, the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Bijan Mortazavi, Emmanuel Kelly and the Muppets
Surprise Appearances by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, and Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard, and Adriana Lima
FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund Surpasses $60 Million Raised for Children's Education Worldwide
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The first-ever FIFA World Cup™ Final Halftime Show made history today, bringing together a lineup of global superstars who captivated audiences around the world while advancing access to quality education for millions of children through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Produced by Global Citizen and curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay, the historic halftime show demonstrated the power of music to unite cultures and drive meaningful change, broadcast live to a worldwide audience in the most watched halftime show in history.
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Topps Final Halftime Show opened with Madonna making a spectacular entrance through New York New Jersey stadium tunnels in a dune buggy – driven by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho – before performing a new version of ‘Music’ infused with elements of ‘Disco Inferno’ and ‘Danceteria’. Gustavo Dudamel then led a powerhouse orchestra of musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela's Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in an epic rendition of ‘Seven Nation Army’, joined by legendary Iranian violinist Bijan Mortazavi and The Muppets' Electric Mayhem. The energy continued as BTS took center stage with a football-inspired performance of their global hit ‘Dynamite’. Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt made surprise appearances as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard, introducing Justin Bieber for a show-stopping reimagining of ‘Everything Hallelujah’.
Next, Shakira and Burna Boy performed the official song of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, ‘Dai Dai’, alongside Uganda's Ghetto Kids, before the show built to an unforgettable finale. The PS22 Chorus, joined by Coldplay, Muppets from Sesame Street and The Muppets from The Walt Disney Company, along with Emmanuel Kelly and a cameo by Adriana Lima, debuted ‘We Dance’, an original song written by Coldplay for the occasion. As fireworks lit up the New Jersey sky, large screens encouraged the audience to visit believeinlove.org, a new initiative launched today to inspire people all over the world to participate in small acts of love to help defeat poverty and defend the planet.
One of the most ambitious live entertainment performances ever staged, the landmark 11-minute FIFA World Cup 2026™ Topps Final Halftime Show featured more than 350 performers, bringing together artists spanning continents and genres, each donating their time.
“We set out with a bold ambition: to bring together the world’s greatest artists for what would be the most-watched halftime show in history,” said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen. “I hope audiences around the world were massively entertained and inspired, and I hope they felt the message of unity and love at its core. Above all else, I hope millions of kids around the world receive access to education for years to come. I look forward to meeting a young person years from now whose life was transformed because the world came together to invest in the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.”
“We promised a truly spectacular and unifying FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, and together with Global Citizen, we delivered. My sincere thanks to the hundreds of talented performers, cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life. There is nothing more important than education, and I am proud that we were able to share this message through an epic show while bringing joy and entertainment to people everywhere,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Broadcast live and free around the world, the Halftime Show was created as part of the ongoing partnership between FIFA and Global Citizen to improve access to football and quality education for children through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. With USD $1 from every ticket sold to FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches donated throughout the tournament, the Fund has now raised over $60 million and provided grants to 58 community-based organizations in 20 countries, impacting the lives of 400,000 children.
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Topps Final Halftime Show was produced by Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation and Done + Dusted. The show was curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin as part of his ongoing role as international curator of the Global Citizen Festival.
Currently, there are approximately 350 million children and adolescents out of school globally. Of these children, approximately 133 million do not meet the minimum proficiency level in reading and math by the end of primary school.
Click here to learn more about the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
About Global Citizen
Global Citizen is the world’s largest movement to end extreme poverty. Powered by a worldwide community of everyday advocates raising their voices and taking action, the movement is amplified by campaigns and events that convene leaders in music, entertainment, public policy, media, philanthropy and the private sector. Since the movement began, more than USD $50 billion in commitments announced on Global Citizen platforms has been deployed, impacting 1.3 billion lives. Established in Australia in 2008, Global Citizen operates in the US, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, the UAE, and across Asia. Join the movement at globalcitizen.org, download the Global Citizen app, and follow Global Citizen on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
Press Kit:
Click here to download artwork and assets
Click here to download the producers’ notes
Contacts
Press Contact:
media@globalcitizen.org
GlobalCitizenFIFA@ledecompany.com
