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BTS has been tapped as a co-headliner for the first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final.
FIFA and Global Citizen announced on the 14th (local time) that BTS will perform as a co-headliner of the halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (officially designated the New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament).
Pop icon Madonna and Latin superstar Shakira will share the bill. Characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets are also on the lineup. It will be the first time in the tournament’s 103-year history that a halftime show is staged at the World Cup final.
The performance will be produced by Global Citizen, the international civic action organization. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin — whose band has often been described as a “brother” group to BTS — will lead artist curation alongside the group.
The halftime show will spotlight the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, created to expand education and sports access for children in underserved communities worldwide. Organizers say the production is designed to unite sport, music and social impact.
BTS and Global Citizen have a long-standing relationship. The group performed at Global Citizen Live in 2021, and member Jungkook appeared at the Global Citizen Festival in 2023. Jungkook also took part in the 2022 Qatar World Cup opening ceremony and contributed to the official soundtrack “Dreamers.” For BTS, the World Cup final halftime show represents another historic milestone.
Through their agency BigHit Music, BTS said, “We are honored to stand on a stage that brings the world together. We believe music is a universal language that delivers hope and unity. Through this World Cup, we look forward to sharing that message with global audiences and supporting efforts to expand educational opportunities for children.”
The announcement drew extra attention because of the potential audience. More than 500 million people watched the 2022 Qatar World Cup final live — a figure that dwarfs the U.S.’s highest-rated broadcast, the 2025 Super Bowl, which drew about 127 million viewers. Those numbers underscore the scale of the platform BTS will take. Organizers have not yet confirmed whether all members will perform together or which songs will be included.
The announcement comes as BTS, having completed members’ mandatory military service and returned as a full group, maintains a relentless schedule. They released their fifth studio album ARIRANG on March 20 and launched a world tour with a concert at Goyang Sports Complex on April 9.
The tour — the largest in K-pop history — is scheduled for more than 85 shows across 34 cities in 23 countries, and tickets for all announced dates have already sold out. ARIRANG also became the first K-pop album to hold No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks.
Local estimates say the Mexico City concerts drew about 150,000 people and generated roughly 108.6 billion KRW (approximately 81.45 million USD). An oft-repeated anecdote — that President Claudia Sheinbaum personally wrote to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to request additional performances — has become shorthand for BTS’s global clout. On the 17th–18th and 20th, BTS will make history as the first Korean artist to present solo concerts at Stanford Stadium in the United States.
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