FIFA has announced that Canadian megastar Justin Bieber will join Madonna, Shakira, and K-pop sensation BTS in the inaugural World Cup final halftime show. The event is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and will last 11 minutes.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the halftime show as “definitely the biggest stage ever,” anticipating that “a couple of billion” viewers worldwide will tune in to watch the performance — the first of its kind at a World Cup.

The show will also include appearances by characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets. It aims to support FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative striving to raise $100 million for children globally during the tournament.

Hugh Evans, cofounder and CEO of the anti-poverty campaign group Global Citizen, which is organizing the concert, called it “the single largest gathering of artists united for a cause since Live Aid,” and suggested it could be “the most-watched 11 minutes of broadcast music performance in history.”

The World Cup continues to captivate global audiences, with additional coverage including profiles such as "The Iranian Striker: The journey of Mehdi Taremi" and updates on the Golden Boot race featuring stars like Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland.

Separately, Al Jazeera reported the tragic death of a Gaza aid worker minutes before a World Cup screening he had organized.

Sources