The 2026 World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium will be the first in the competition’s history to include a half time show, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin will help FIFA “finalize the list of artists” who will perform on July 19, 2026, when New York New Jersey will play host to the biggest game in the footballing calendar. No previous final has involved half time performances, in 2022 Qatar’s closing ceremony took place entirely before kick off between Argentina and France with performances from the likes of Gims and Ozuna.
“I can confirm the first ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final in New York New Jersey,” said Infantino on Instagram. “This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.”
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Midgame spectacles have traditionally been viewed as the purview of the Super Bowl, where Kendrick Lamar was the headline act last month in New Orleans. Some of the biggest names in music including Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen and, indeed, Coldplay have taken to the stage during the NFL’s showpiece season finale, their performances generally lasting 13 minutes. That is the full half time break in most American Football matches, meaning that teams spend roughly twice as long in the locker room between halves during the Super Bowl as they do for regular season games.
In soccer, half time lasts 15 minutes. FIFA is yet to confirm whether this will be elongated to fit in a half time show, something which has not previously been attempted in any of the sport’s biggest games. In recent years the Champions League has drawn major artists to a pre-match show though the likes of Camila Cabello and Lenny Kravitz have not drawn particularly rapturous responses from fans in the ground.
Infantino also confirmed a “take over” in Times Square to take place over the weekend of the final and third-place play off. He wrote: “These will be two incredible matches, featuring some of the best players in the world, and what better way to celebrate them than in the historic Times Square in New York City.”
