K-pop supergroup BTS will perform during the halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America final. It will be the first time a World Cup final features a halftime show, and BTS will co-headline the performance with Madonna and Shakira.
On May 14 (local time), Global Citizen and FIFA announced that BTS will take the halftime stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in the United States.
FIFA and Global Citizen said they aim to expand the event’s reach by blending sports, music and culture. The performance will also promote and raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative that seeks to broaden access to quality education and sports for children in underserved communities worldwide.
Through their agency BigHit Music, BTS said they are honored to appear on a stage that brings the world together. “We believe music is a universal language of hope and unity,” the group added, noting that sharing that message with a global audience during the World Cup — and helping to expand educational opportunities for children — makes the appearance especially meaningful.
Global Citizen, the international civic organization, will produce the halftime show. The event will be broadcast live around the world, with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin serving as curator. Characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets are also scheduled to appear, promising a family-friendly show that spans generations.
BTS and Global Citizen have a history of collaboration. The group performed at Global Citizen LIVE in 2021, and member Jungkook appeared at the Global Citizen Festival in 2023. Jungkook also lent his vocals to the official 2022 Qatar World Cup soundtrack, “Dreamers,” and performed at that tournament’s opening ceremony.
The group is also continuing its world tour. BTS played three sold-out shows at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City on May 7 and May 9–10, drawing roughly 150,000 fans. Those concerts were the group’s first full-lineup solo shows in Mexico since July 2015 — about 10 years and 10 months ago — and all three dates sold out.
After the Mexico dates, BTS will continue the tour with performances at Stanford Stadium on May 17–18 and 20 as part of BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN STANFORD.
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