For the first time in its history, the FIFA World Cup final will include a halftime show during its intermission. This unprecedented announcement was made by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Speaking at the Semafor World Economy Summit in Washington D.C., Infantino revealed, «For the first time in history, we will have a halftime show at the World Cup final on July 19th in New York/New Jersey.»
The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled to take place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on that date. The break in the match is set to feature a musical highlight, which Infantino indicated would be curated by the British pop band Coldplay and their frontman Chris Martin. He stated, «I cannot reveal who will be performing yet, but it will be more than one artist. And it will be the biggest show in the world. It will be fantastic.»
Halftime shows are a well-established tradition in the United States, with the Super Bowl – the final of the American football league NFL – regularly featuring performances from major superstars, drawing one of the year’s most-watched television audiences.
Mixed Reception for Halftime Shows in Football
In contrast, musical performances during the 15-minute interval are a rare occurrence in football. This is partly due to a mixed reception from fans. For instance, the German Football Association (DFB) experimented with a halftime show featuring German schlager singer Helene Fischer at the 2017 DFB-Pokal final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund in Berlin. However, her performance was met with loud whistling from many supporters in the Olympiastadion.
Fischer commented on the experience afterward, saying, «A musician sometimes has to go through that. I’ve developed thick skin over the years, and since yesterday, hair has even grown. To stand there as an artist and feel the concentrated testosterone power, that was something…» She added, regarding the whistling fans, «I didn’t feel it was that bad. There’s a resentment there; they didn’t want entertainment.»
Looking ahead to the World Cup, Infantino also announced that «all the stars you can imagine» will be involved in the tournament hosted across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. He cited NFL legend Tom Brady and former NBA center Shaquille O’Neal as examples. Both had already played significant roles as draw conductors during the preliminary group stage draw for the finals. «They love it,» the FIFA boss remarked.