Madonna, Shakira, Burna Boy, BTS, Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise and IShowSpeed confirmed for first FIFA World Cup final half-time show

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will make history long before Spain and Argentina kick off at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, with FIFA introducing the tournament's first-ever official half-time show alongside a star-studded closing ceremony.

Inspired by the Super Bowl, the expanded entertainment programme will combine music, football and philanthropy as FIFA brings the biggest World Cup in history to a close following a 39-day tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Beyond the onfield spectacle that will see Lionel Messi come up against 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, Sports Mole takes a look at everything fans need to know ahead of the showpiece event.

When is the World Cup 2026 final

The final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, with kickoff at 8:00pm at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

FIFA is branding the venue New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament under its clean-venue sponsorship policy.

Spain reached the final by beating France 2-0, while Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1 in the other semi-final.

The closing ceremony is set to begin roughly 90 minutes before kickoff, putting its start close to 18:30.

Key facts

Date: Sunday, July 19
Kickoff: 8:00pm
Venue: MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey
Finalists: Spain vs Argentina
Closing ceremony: begins approximately 90 minutes before kickoff
Half-time show: an 11-minute performance during the interval

Closing ceremony performers

Post Malone headlines the pre-match closing ceremony, which FIFA says will mark the 48-team tournament's journey through Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Actor Tom Cruise and streamer IShowSpeed are both scheduled to appear, alongside British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.

Italian singer Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger, formerly of the Pussycat Dolls, are also billed to perform.

Jennifer Hudson closes out the pre-match segment with a rendition of the national anthem before kickoff.

FIFA has not detailed exactly what each act will do during the ceremony, and has urged ticket holders to arrive early because fans are described as having an active role in the show.

Half-time show lineup

Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup final half-time show.

Bieber was confirmed as the final addition to the bill, joining a lineup already built around Madonna, Shakira and BTS.

Burna Boy, who also performed the tournament's official song, Dai Dai, at the opening ceremony, is on the half-time bill alongside conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

The PS22 Chorus, an elementary school choir from Staten Island, New York, performs as part of the show alongside Coldplay.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is curating the overall performance.

Muppets characters Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, along with figures from Sesame Street, also feature in the segment.

Many expect the break to last significantly longer than the traditional 15-minute interval in order to allow the stage to be assembled and removed safely, although FIFA has yet to publish a final schedule.

The musical performance itself is expected to run for approximately 11 to 20 minutes, depending on the final production.

Co-headliners: Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber
Also performing: Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, PS22 Chorus with Coldplay
Curator: Chris Martin (Coldplay)
Guest appearances: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Sesame Street characters
Producers: Global Citizen, with Live Nation and Done and Dusted

Why FIFA is doing a half-time show for the first time

FIFA president Gianni Infantino first confirmed the plan for a half-time show, describing it as a historic moment for the World Cup final.

The show is tied to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100m to expand access to education and football programs for children.

FIFA is donating $1 from every ticket sold across the tournament's 104 matches to the fund, with more than $50m already raised before the final.

Burna Boy said representing Africa on the first World Cup final half-time show was a privilege tied directly to that education mission.

Unlike the Champions League final, which has traditionally used a pre-match concert rather than a half-time slot, FIFA has modelled this show more closely on the NFL's Super Bowl format.

Where to watch outside the stadium

Around 50,000 fans are expected to gather on the Great Lawn in Central Park for a free watch party featuring giant screens and live entertainment tied to the ceremony and half-time show.

In the United States, FOX holds the English-language broadcast rights to the final, with Telemundo carrying Spanish-language coverage.

Both the match and the surrounding ceremonies can be streamed through FOX One and the FOX Sports app in English, and through Peacock and the Telemundo app in Spanish.