In a first, the 2026 World Cup final will include a halftime show
Do two big halftimes make a wholetime?
The FIFA World Cup will be taking a page out of the Super Bowl’s book, after announcing this week that its 2026 final game slated to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will include a halftime show. (It will be called New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament.)
Three things to know:
- The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, broke the news this week in an Instagram post saying that he could “confirm the first ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final.” He added it would be a “a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.”
- In addition to the new show, the sports organization has enlisted Coldplay member Chris Martin and manager Phil Harvey to help FIFA narrow down the list of performers for the event.
- Halftime for the World Cup final is typically just 15 minutes, and during that time, the pitch is sprayed down with water. It’s unclear if the time would be extended or other changes would be made to accommodate a performance. NPR reached out to FIFA for comment but did not receive a reply by publication time.
Want the latest stories on the science of healthy living? Subscribe to the Health newsletter.
The power of a halftime show
If you’ve been paying attention, you might not need reminding of the recent rap-beef spectacle that was Kendrick Lamar’s widely praised 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.
But that’s far from the first mid-game performance that has generated plenty of pop culture buzz and controversy.
A performance for everyone to talk about on a global scale could take the discourse to new heights. FIFA claims that the 2022 final between Argentina and France yielded an eye-popping 1.5 billion viewers.
But before we look forward, let us remember our past, for “Waka Waka” is eternal.
Dive deeper with NPR:
- For a refresher on this year’s Super Bowl halftime show (and drama) listen to our coverage from February.
- Want more? The Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast suggests and dissects the buzziest new movies, TV, music, books, video games and more, five days a week.
Iran’s supreme leader makes first public appearance since Iran-Israel war started
Iran' s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday made his first public appearance since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran began, attending a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashoura.
At least 43 dead in catastrophic Texas flooding and dozens missing from girls camp
Flash flooding slammed the Texas Hill Country overnight on Friday. At least 27 girls from a summer camp next to the Guadalupe River remain missing.
How this long-lost Chinese typewriter from the 1940s changed modern computing
The concepts in the MingKwai typewriter underlie how Chinese, Japanese and Korean are typed today. The typewriter, patented in 1946, was found last year in an upstate New York basement.
North Korea has a new luxury beach resort. But the country isn’t open to most tourists
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants the luxury resort on the eastern seacoast to become a "world destination," but the country has been reluctant to allow in foreign tourists.
Mariska Hargitay walks a fine line in ‘My Mom Jayne’
It's natural to feel some skepticism when a celebrity makes a documentary about their own family. But Law & Order star Mariska Hargitay' tells a story that is both effective and empathetic.
Ukraine says it struck a Russian airbase as Russia sent drones into Ukraine
Ukraine said it struck a Russian airbase on Saturday, while Russia continued to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones overnight, dashing hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the war.
