Burna Boy Joins Shakira, Madonna & Justin Bieber for FIFA’s Historic Halftime Show

The FIFA World Cup Final just got a lot more exciting, and not just because of what will happen on the pitch. FIFA has announced the full line-up for the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, and Burna Boy is on it. The Nigerian Afrobeats superstar will take the stage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on 19 July 2026, alongside co-headliners Shakira, Madonna, and BTS, with Justin Bieber also joining the line-up. The 11-minute performance, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will also feature Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the PS22 Chorus, a choir of elementary school students from Staten Island, New York, and Coldplay themselves. Even the Muppets are involved.

Burna Boy’s inclusion in this line-up is no coincidence. He and Shakira collaborated on this year’s official World Cup song, “Dai Dai,” released on 15 May 2026 through Sony Music Latin and Ace Entertainment, and the two have already shared a stage at the tournament’s opening ceremony in Mexico on 11 June. The track, whose title is borrowed from Italian and means “come on, come on,” brings together Afrobeats and Latin rhythms into a genuinely global anthem, co-written by Shakira, Burna Boy, Benny Adam, and Jon Bellion.

Burna Boy said in a statement: “The FIFA World Cup is one of the few moments that truly brings the entire world together. To represent Africa on the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show is a privilege and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I’m honoured to be part of a performance that not only celebrates football and culture, but also helps create greater opportunities for children through education around the world.”

The halftime show is a first for football. Unlike the Super Bowl, which has made its halftime performance one of the most watched entertainment events in the world, major football finals have historically featured pre-match concerts rather than halftime performances. The FIFA World Cup Final on 19 July 2026 changes that, and with a line-up that spans Afrobeats, Latin pop, K-pop, and rock, it is shaping up to be as significant a cultural moment as the match itself.

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