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.
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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.
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