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The World Cup halftime show will be the first ever The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday promises to be a spectacle on and off the pitch.
A closing ceremony will start 90 minutes before kickoff, headlined by Post Malone, and there will be a first ever World Cup halftime show, as FIFA takes inspiration from the NFLs beloved Super Bowl tradition.
Who will perform? How long will it last? And how will the pitch be protected? Below we round up everything you need to know about the halftime show.
Who is performing in the show? The show is curated by Coldplays Chris Martin, and includes a line-up of international mega stars including Justin Bieber, who was recently added, Shakira, Burna Boy, BTS, Madonna and Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
The New York City-based PS22 Chorus, featuring Coldplay, will also perform, as will characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets.
FIFA describes the show as the coming together of football, music and social impact, with the show broadcast to millions around the world and says says it will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aiming to raise $100million to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide.
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It's FREE! While this is a first at a World Cup, fans can turn to last years Club World Cup halftime show for clues of what to expect.
That halftime show was also curated by Chris Martin and was a test run for July 19.
It took place on a stage high in the stands, which looked great on television but fell flat in person.
This time, however, expect the show to be on the field.
Why is it lasting for around 20 minutes? FIFA had previously said the halftime performance would be 11 minutes long.
While FIFA has yet to reveal the total length of the halftime show, multiple sources told The Athletic the governing body is targeting for the break to last around 20 minutes.
For comparison, at last years Club World Cup final, while the halftime show lasted around 10 minutes, the entire halftime ran just over 24 minutes.
That performance, importantly, did not require any changeover on the pitch.
On Sunday, a stage will have to be erected and collapsed which could extend the length of the overall halftime.
At Super Bowls, where crews set up and remove elaborate stages each year, halftimes typically last between 20 and 30 minutes, if not longer.
That is significantly longer than the usually strict 13-minute halftimes at NFL games.
Is that controversial? Yes, especially from a sporting perspective.
Per the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the lawmakers of the game, half-time should not exceed 15 minutes.
The break may be altered only with the referees permission, says the boards rulebook.
So, it is highly unusual for breaks to last longer than 15 minutes, which creates a unique challenge for players and coaches who are not accustomed to it.
What does it mean for the players? Sitting around for too long could decondition players, so it is important for them to move, eat and hydrate while waiting in their locker rooms for the second half to begin.
This is becoming a trend for big competitions, with halftime shows already seen at the Club World Cup final, and also the Copa America in 2024.
Conmebol organized its first-ever halftime show for the final of the Copa America at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, with Shakira as the headliner.
The longer halftime was criticized by Colombia head coach Nestor Lorenzo at the time, who said, I think the halftime for the final should be 15 minutes because those are the rules.
And because weve been fined when weve walked back onto the pitch 16 minutes later.
But now apparently, because theres going to be a concert, well be walking back out 20 to 25 minutes later.
This could affect the players fitness.
They could cool down too much.
Those minutes of recovery in the dressing room..
people dont understand what it takes to reach those levels.
For that years Copa America final, played between Argentina and Colombia, players were waiting around 26 minutes before the second half was underway.
How will this affect the field? FIFA has shared very little about its plans for the performance beyond the musical line-ups, so it is unclear how it will be set up on the field.
FIFA does have experience with setting up opening and closing ceremonies before the first and final matches of World Cups.
However, those can be as early as 90 minutes before kickoff.
The rush to get the show finished quickly during Sundays halftime will prove far more challenging.
During the previous World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium (or New York New Jersey stadium, as FIFA calls it), halftimes on the pitch usually feature pitch staff maintaining and freshening up the field.
They examine the pitch to fill any holes and pick up any dead grass.
There are usually sprinklers that water the grass between halves, which is significant for preventing the field from becoming too dry in the heat, which slows the ball down while playing.
This is an elaborate process that could be limited with a halftime show, which, of course, risks damaging the integrity of the pitch.
Why is this World Cup final getting a halftime show? The concept is highly unusual in global football, even if it has long been a tradition in American football.
Such performances extend the event and draw in different viewers the Super Bowl commercials either side of the performance have become an event in themselves.
for performers, the Super Bowl halftime show means unprecedented exposure.
For the NFL, the show can also help the league draw in new fans.
For FIFA, a halftime show is likely an attractive concept because it makes the World Cup final an even larger spectacle.
It also offers FIFA an opportunity to draw in new viewers beyond the football-obsessed.
As this is the largest World Cup ever, and with the final hosted in the United States, it also offers a unique opportunity for FIFA to venture further into sports entertainment, which is such a big part of U.S.
sports culture.
How does this compare to the Super Bowl? While the opening and closing ceremonies at World Cups are elaborate, it will be surprising if this halftime show is as elaborate as a Super Bowl halftime show.
FIFA simply does not have the same experience as the NFL in putting a halftime show together although that is exactly why the governing body has leaned on Chris Martin.
The biggest difference between a Super Bowl halftime show and a World Cup halftime show, however, is the tradition of it all.
This concept is outside the realm of football culture that it will certainly take some time for soccer fans to get used to.
The focus in soccer will likely revolve on how long halftime is and how it affects the overall momentum of the match.
Will the broadcasters be showing it in full? If we are going off how the Super Bowl halftime shows are handled in the U.S., then broadcasters are likely to air the halftime show in full.
Fox and NBC, which own the U.S.
rights to air the World Cup in English and Spanish, respectively, are no strangers to Super Bowl coverage.
On its website, FIFA advertises to fans that they can follow the halftime show through their local broadcasters.
In the U.K., ITV told The Athletic they plan to show the performance in full and will also have match analysis during the halftime pause.
BBC, the other rights holder, also plans to broadcast the show in full, as The Guardian reported.
Because the performance will require time to set up and remove a stage, it is understood there will be ample time for broadcasters to analyze the match around the performance and before the second half is underway.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
2026 The New York Times Company.