World Cup 2026 Introduces Historic Halftime Show
On May 14, 2026, in New York City, a major announcement was made regarding the upcoming World Cup. Brazilian soccer legend Kaka, Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans, Colombian singer Shakira, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed that the World Cup final would feature a halftime show for the first time. This event plans to unite celebrities from six continents to celebrate soccer.
The halftime show will take place at approximately 3:45 PM ET and will be broadcast in the U.S. on Fox and Fox One, with a Spanish broadcast on Telemundo. Streaming options will be available on the Fox Sports app and Peacock. The spectacle is anticipated to last around 11 minutes.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin curated a star-studded lineup, including Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, Burna Boy, BTS, Coldplay, and the Muppets Kermit and Miss Piggy. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead musicians from the New York Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Additional performances come from Uganda’s viral dance troupe Ghetto Kids, Australia’s Emmanuel Kelly, and Staten Island’s PS22 Chorus.
The halftime show aims to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which hopes to raise $100 million to enhance education and soccer access for children globally. FIFA claims it has already raised half of this amount, aided by contributions such as $1 from each ticket sold for the World Cup matches. However, considering the high price of tickets, starting at nearly $3,000, this sum forms a minor portion of the overall sales.
Soccer stands as the world’s leading sport, with the Library of Congress citing over 240 million registered players and billions of fans. FIFA boasts record-breaking viewership during the 2026 World Cup, with 20 billion video views across digital platforms so far. Comparatively, the recent Super Bowl had 125.6 million viewers.
In the U.S., soccer’s popularity is on the rise. A survey published by The Economist lists soccer as Americans’ third favorite sport, surpassing baseball. FIFA’s introduction of a halftime show appears to mirror the NFL’s strategy to engage audiences beyond football enthusiasts, offering everyone a captivating break in the game.