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The 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded with a star-studded celebration featuring some of the world’s biggest entertainers. Jennifer Hudson performed the U.S. national anthem.
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FIFA staged its first-ever World Cup final halftime show, with performances by Burna Boy, Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS and Coldplay in one of the tournament’s biggest entertainment spectacles.
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Burna Boy reunited with Shakira to perform their official World Cup anthem, “Dai Dai,” after the pair first debuted the song during the tournament’s opening ceremony.
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Organized in partnership with Global Citizen, the 27-minute, 22-second halftime show supported the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and brought the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup to a memorable close.
July 20, (THEWILL) — The 2026 FIFA World Cup came to a spectacular conclusion on Sunday, July 19, with a star-studded closing ceremony and FIFA’s first-ever World Cup final halftime show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Post Malone and Swae Lee led the pre-match entertainment with a live performance before Jennifer Hudson delivered a stirring rendition of the United States national anthem to officially open the ceremony.
Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger then performed the official FIFA anthem, “Desire,” while internet personality IShowSpeed thrilled fans with his hit “Champions,” which was featured on the tournament’s official soundtrack.
Link to Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger’s performance:
Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise also made a surprise appearance, delivering an inspirational message celebrating football’s power to unite people across the world.
The final attracted an extraordinary guest list, with U.S. President Donald Trump, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, King Felipe VI of Spain, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso, David and Victoria Beckham, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, MrBeast, and NBA stars Victor Wembanyama and James Harden are among those in attendance.
First-Ever FIFA World Cup Half-Time Show
The night’s biggest attraction was FIFA’s inaugural World Cup final halftime show.
Organized in partnership with Global Citizen and curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the 27-minute spectacle featured Burna Boy, Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, Coldplay, conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
Madonna opened the show with a roller-rink-themed performance of her classic hit “Music,” making a dramatic entrance in a dune buggy driven by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
BTS then delivered a performance of their worldwide hit “Dynamite,” drawing cheers from the crowd.
Justin Bieber followed with an acoustic performance of “Everything Hallelujah,” introduced through a cameo by Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt.
One of the evening’s standout moments came when Burna Boy reunited with Colombian superstar Shakira to perform the official tournament anthem, “Dai Dai,” alongside Uganda’s viral Ghetto Kids dance troupe. The pair had previously performed the song together during the World Cup opening ceremony.
Chris Martin closed the halftime show with a brand-new song, “We Dance,” joined by Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and New York City’s PS22 Chorus.
The groundbreaking performance marked the first halftime show in FIFA World Cup final history, blending football, music and global entertainment on one stage.
Spain capped the historic evening by defeating Argentina 1–0 to lift their second FIFA World Cup title, bringing the first-ever 48-team tournament to a memorable close.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
