The 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, broke tradition by hosting the tournament's first-ever half-time show. The massive production transformed the interval between Spain and Argentina into a Super Bowl-style musical event, extending the break to nearly 30 minutes.
Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the performance featured a high-profile lineup including Shakira, who performed the official tournament anthem, "Dai Dai." The show also included sets from Madonna, BTS, and Justin Bieber. During his appearance, Bieber adapted the lyrics of his track "Everything Hallelujah" to include the line: "It's the World Cup, hallelujah." The spectacle further featured classical music, with Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel leading the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela's Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.
While the International Football Association Board (IFAB) typically advises against such long intervals, FIFA utilized competition regulations to permit the extended break, allowing time to set up the pitch, perform, and dismantle the stage before play resumed. FIFA stated that the event was organized in partnership with Global Citizen to support worldwide education projects.
The final was played before a capacity crowd, with ticket prices reaching up to €35,000. The scale of the production highlights FIFA's ongoing ambition to evolve the championship match into a global entertainment spectacle designed to reach new, broader audiences.
The production required an extensive pitch set-up and extended the half-time break well beyond the usual 15 minutes, following the model of major US sporting events.
