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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
James Pollard

Antipoverty advocate Global Citizen hopes the World Cup halftime show drives money for education

WCup Soccer Philanthropy Global Citizen - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The antipoverty nonprofit Global Citizen is no stranger to big stages. The advocacy group rallied more than 60,000 festivalgoers at its Central Park concert last year around issues of rainforest protection and energy access.

But Global Citizen is preparing for its most ambitious production yet: the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show on July 19, curated with help from Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin. Super Bowl-style performances — uncommon in soccer — will feature Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Also Thursday, Shakira released the official World Cup song “Dai Dai” featuring Afrobeats giant Burna Boy.

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