FIFA and Global Citizen said Wednesday that Justin Bieber will co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, joining previously announced performers Madonna, Shakira and BTS for the July 19 finale at what is temporarily branded New York New Jersey Stadium.
Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus, a children’s choir from a Staten Island public elementary school, will also perform, with the chorus joined by Coldplay. The 11-minute show is being curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen alongside Live Nation and Done + Dusted.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino called the lineup a celebration of football, music and shared humanity, saying the show would resonate beyond the final whistle. Bieber said in a statement that the World Cup unites the world in a way nothing else can and that he was glad his involvement supports children’s access to education. Burna Boy described representing Africa on the inaugural halftime stage as a privilege he does not take lightly.
The performance will benefit the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children’s education and football access worldwide; organizers say more than $50 million has already been raised, partly through $1 donations from every World Cup ticket sold. Infantino has said he expects roughly two billion viewers to tune into the performance, which will also feature characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, including Kermit and Miss Piggy.
No previous World Cup final has featured a formal halftime show, a first for the tournament modeled on the Super Bowl’s traditional halftime spectacle. Because FIFA rules cap halftime intervals at 15 minutes, the 11-minute show could still require an extended break given the additional setup and teardown time needed.
