BTS to headline FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show

The World Cup is getting the purple touch. Yes, true, BTS are heading to football’s biggest stage and they’re not going alone.

FIFA announced on May 14 that BTS, along with Madonna and Shakira, will co-headline the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show. The spectacle is set for July 19 at the New York–New Jersey Stadium, bringing together three of the most recognisable names in global pop culture for a historic performance.

“The world’s biggest stage. An even bigger purpose,” FIFA teased in its announcement, revealing that the show will also feature curation by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Adding a playful twist to the star-studded lineup, Sesame Street and The Muppets are also expected to make appearances.

Moreover, the Halftime Show carries a larger mission. It will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, aimed at expanding access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide. The performance will also be livestreamed globally, ensuring fans everywhere get a front-row seat to the action.

The excitement is high, and of course different sections of different fandoms are already at war. Nevertheless, the common sentiment is, “Being a fan of the biggest group in the world is never boring.” Others took all the negativity in their stride and wrote, “Isn’t it amazing? I always say I love when BTS gets hated on, like with Arirang, because it means that they’re only going to keep rising higher.”

This isn’t BTS’s first brush with global football fever. The group previously performed at Global Citizen LIVE in 2021, while member Jungkook contributed to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with his track ‘Dreamers,’ which became a tournament favourite.

GN