FIFA and nonprofit Global Citizen took to Instagram to announce the lineup for the Super Bowl-style halftime show May 14. In the announcement video, Coldplay's Chris Martin is joined by a cast that featured Elmo, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Cookie Monster, who joked that BTS' hit "Butter" was both the monster's favorite song and cookie ingredient.

When Elmo asked Martin what a halftime show was, the Grammy winner explained that people get together for singing, dancing and music.

"It's a chance to show how amazing all different kinds of humans are," Martin continued. "And we get to raise some money for children's education."

According to FIFA, "the show will raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund," which aims to improve access to quality education and soccer for children around the world.

Huge video screens dotted the beach for fans too far away to see.

Fans near the stage captured the action on their phones.
See Shakira light up Copacabana during massive beach show in Brazil

Huge video screens dotted the beach for fans too far away to see.

Late on May 13, eagle-eyed fans noticed that Madonna and the FIFA World Cup Instagram accounts began following each other. The Queen of Pop performed with Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella in April and will release "Confessions II," the follow-up to 2005's "Confessions on a Dance Floor," on July 3.

BTS, whose members recently completed their mandatory military service in South Korea, released its fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," on March 20. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook are currently on a world tour, with stops in Stanford, California and Las Vegas in May. The tour returns to the States with shows this August in Chicago and Los Angeles in Sept. The group has earned six No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2020 and sells out stadiums across the world.

Shakira, the best-selling female Latin artist of all time, is no stranger to the World Cup. The Grammy-winner released "Dai Dai," the official song of the 2026 World Cup, May 14. The single features Nigerian artist Burna Boy. Shakira also sang the 2010 World Cup anthem "Waka Waka" when the tournament was held in South Africa.

Global Citizen will produce the halftime show, with assistance from Martin, who is also no stranger to FIFA. Martin also assisted Global Citizen with the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup final halftime show, which took place in 2025 for professional clubs (vs. national teams) at MetLife Stadium. In addition to performances from J. Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems, Coldplay surprised the audience with a rendition of "A Sky Full of Stars."

Martin joined Global Citizen, a nonprofit that aims to end world hunger, in 2015 as its international festival curator.
Who else will perform at the 2026 World Cup?

FIFA will host three opening ceremonies, one for each of the host country's (Mexico, the United States and Canada) opening match in the group stages. Each will feature performances from some of the top music artists representing the host nations and their opponents.

Rockers Mana?, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules and South African singer Tyla will perform at the June 11 game in Mexico City.

Katy Perry will perform at the US opener June 12 in Los Angeles, along with Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla.

Canadians Michael Buble?, Alanis Morissette and Alessia Cara will hit the stage at the June 12 kickoff match in Toronto. Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream and William Prince will also perform.

FIFA is releasing an official album, including the single "Lighter" by Jelly Roll, Cari?n Leo?n and Cirkut.

AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas

Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts

MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)

Who performed at the 1994 World Cup Final?

The 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, is the second time that World Cup games will be played in the States. The US hosted the 1994 World Cup, an event that drew over 3.5 million fans to venues across the country. It led directly to the creation of Major League Soccer. And according to the then-head of US Soccer, almost produced the first halftime show.

"We had Whitney Houston to do the halftime show," Alan Rothenberg, former president of US Soccer who oversaw that World Cup, said to USA TODAY. "We wanted to do it Super Bowl-style. FIFA would not allow us to do it."

Instead, Houston performed during the closing ceremony, which was originally scheduled to take place 50 minutes before the final match. According to the Los Angeles Times, FIFA executives were concerned with the players having enough time to warm up, so the start time for the ceremony was moved up an additional half hour.

"We just did everything and anything under the sun to make it more than just a soccer tournament," Rothenberg continued. "Obviously, we were successful. The result is a lot of people who became interested in the tournament became soccer fans."