FIFA has confirmed that global pop star Justin Bieber and Nigerian Grammy winner Burna Boy will perform at the historic 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show, with organisers revealing that the musical spectacle will last 11 minutes.
The performance, scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, will mark the first halftime entertainment show ever staged during a FIFA World Cup final, drawing comparisons to the iconic Super Bowl halftime show.
Bieber joins an already star-studded lineup featuring Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and Coldplay, whose frontman Chris Martin is curating the event. Coldplay will also perform alongside the acclaimed PS22 Chorus, a choir made up of students from a New York public elementary school.
FIFA also announced that beloved characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets will make appearances during the show, which aims to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The initiative seeks to raise $100 million to improve access to education for children around the world.
“The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can,” Bieber said in a statement.
“I’m grateful to be part of this halftime show, and even more grateful knowing it’s already helping expand access to education for children around the world.”
The confirmation that the performance will run for 11 minutes eases earlier speculation that the show could extend to 25 minutes. However, questions remain about whether the traditional halftime interval in football will need to be extended to accommodate stage setup and dismantling.
Under the Laws of the Game, halftime should not exceed 15 minutes, although the logistics of hosting a live concert inside the stadium could result in a longer break.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described the event as “the biggest stage ever,” predicting that billions of viewers worldwide will tune in for the groundbreaking performance.
Global Citizen CEO and co-founder Hugh Evans called the production one of the most ambitious live music events ever assembled.
“This is the single largest gathering of artists united for a cause since Live Aid, and it could well be the most-watched 11 minutes of broadcast music performance in history,” Evans said.
The World Cup final halftime show will be slightly shorter than recent Super Bowl halftime performances, which typically last between 13 and 14 minutes. FIFA first tested the concept during last year’s FIFA Club World Cup final at the same venue, where the halftime interval lasted more than 24 minutes and drew mixed reactions from fans and football stakeholders.
