17 Artists Perform At World Cup Finals Halftime Show Between Spain And Argentina

Published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02 PM EDT Rianna is the Movie News Editor for ScreenRant. After earning her BA in Film Studies, she began her career as an entertainment writer, contributing to several publications before joining ScreenRant. Her dissertation on the impact of streaming on traditional cinema sharpened her focus on the ever-evolving world of film and media. With 6 years in the industry, Rianna continues to cover the stories she loves while also advocating for awareness and representation of rare disabilities, such as Moebius Syndrome, which she lives with. Sign in to your ScreenRant account FIFA's World Cup is finishing with a bang. The first official international soccer match was played in 1872 in Glasgow between Scotland and England. The first official World Cup began in Uruguay in 1930, with the tournament being held every fourth year; however, there were unofficial World Cups already stemming back from the late 1800s. The process now involves over 200 teams worldwide and is now one of the most-watched events in the world. For the first time in history, FIFA's World Cup will feature a halftime show during the final match between Argentina and Spain. The show will feature 17 performers, including Justin Bieber, Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy and the Ghetto Kids, PS22, Coldplay, Gustavo Dudamel, characters from The Muppets and Sesame Street. There is also a 90-minute closing ceremony expected. Jason Sudeikis appears in the Madonna, The Muppets, and BTS medley representing Ted Lasso to introduce Justin Bieber. Bieber performs an acoustic toned-down performance compared to the beginning of the halftime show. The viral "Everything Hallelujah" plays with the musician saying, "it's the World Cup, hallelujah." Shakira performs with Burna Boy "Dai Dai" before PS22 joins Coldplay for a colorful musical number. Cruise delivered a powerful and moving speech before the match began and addressed the crowd as well as the cameras for the millions watching around the world. He ended with "This is football, this is unity, this is greatness." The performance is said to benefit the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which has a goal of raising $100 million to give access to quality education and football opportunities for children all over the world. FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated: "We are proud to have Justin Bieber joining Madonna, Shakira and BTS to co-headline the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and our mission to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children around the world." Post Malone is said to be headlining a set that was "designed to celebrate the tournament’s journey and ignite the atmosphere before the world’s attention turns to the two finalists," according to Infantino. Jennifer Hudson performed "The Star-Spangled Banner," and Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, Laura Pausini, Tom Cruise and IShowSpeed also performed ahead of the match. This World Cup has truly been record-breaking, and before it even began, more than 150 million tickets were requested for the tournament in just 15 days. With an average of 10 million tickets requested per day. Infantino called the response from fans "overwhelming" and a "true representation" of how beloved the sport is. FIFA's World Cup halftime show will last approximately 11 minutes, with the break expected to last 20 minutes in total.