The 2026 World Cup final is to feature a half-time musical show, imitating the Super Bowl, with artists set to be chosen by Coldplay. Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, announced the move after meetings in the US and promised the performance would be “a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world”.
There will be logistical pressures with the performance, given the customary 15-minute half-time break in football. Kendrick Lemar’s half-time performance at Super Bowl LIX last month lasted 13 minutes, not including the time taken to assemble and remove the performance area. Typically, half-time at the Super Bowl lasts about half an hour.
Fifa announced last autumn it would work with the anti-poverty activists Global Citizen on producing a half-time show as part of a four-year partnership between the organisations. On Wednesday, Infantino confirmed Coldplay’s involvement as curators, working alongside Fifa in selecting performers.
Infantino said the half-time show would be part of a series of events celebrating the climax of the World Cup, including a fan festival that would take over New York City’s Times Square. “I can confirm the first ever half-time show at a Fifa World Cup final in New York New Jersey, in association with Global Citizen,” he posted on Instagram. “This will be a historic moment for the Fifa World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.
“We also spoke about how Fifa will take over Times Square for the final weekend of the Fifa World Cup in 2026, during both the bronze final match and final. These will be two incredible matches, featuring some of the best players in the world, and what better way to celebrate them than in the historic Times Square in New York City.”
Football administrators often look enviously at the Super Bowl as an event. This year in New Orleans, Lamar drew a record 133.5 million viewers for his performance. Coldplay and Fifa face the challenge of finding an act that can entertain an enormous international audience and create conversation among fans and viewers.
