Madonna, Shakira, Bieber and The Muppets light up World Cup half-time show
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final featured a star-studded half-time show including performances by Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and others. The event was designed to raise money for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in the presentation of major sporting events, mirroring the Super Bowl's entertainment-heavy format on a global scale.
Shakira and Burna Boy embrace during the opening ceremony before the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo: AP/Eduardo Verdugo) 20 Jul 2026 04:41AM (Updated: 20 Jul 2026 09:52AM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Musical headliners Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS and Coldplay were joined by Brazilian football icons and Ted Lasso actors in a spectacular first-ever World Cup final half-time show on Sunday (Jul 19).
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