Sunday’s World Cup final will be the first in the competition’s history to serve up a half-time show in the style of the NFL. It’s fitting enough for a final in the United States but its suitability for a football match has been questioned.
Gianni Infantino’s brazen willingness to lean into the showbusiness side of a World Cup sticks in the craw but this manifestation of it as at least in the name of a good cause.
The production is being handled under the Global Citizen banner in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to ‘expand access to quality education and football opportunities’ for children around the world.
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Which artists are playing the World Cup final half-time show?
There’s no knocking that, even if giving Chris Martin of Coldplay the creative keys made it inevitable that straightforward corporate friendly big-event-pop would be the order of the day.
“It will be a celebration of football, unity and shared humanity that will resonate far beyond the final whistle,” promised FIFA president Infantino when the historic show was announced before the tournament.
Madonna, Shakira and BTS were the first ‘global icons’ confirmed to be on the bill on July 19, which is expected to see the half time break run longer than the standard 15 minutes.
The latest addition to the show is Justin Bieber, who said in a totally authentic statement that, “The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can.
"I’m grateful to be part of this Halftime Show, and even more grateful knowing it’s already helping expand access to education for children around the world.”
Here’s the full list of performers slated for Sunday’s oversized middle hydration break at New York New Jersey Stadium:
- Justin Bieber
- Madonna
- Shakira
- BTS
- Burna Boy
- Gustavo Dudamel
- PS22 Chorus
- Sesame Street
- Some of The Muppets
The quintet of pop acts topping the bill have sold somewhere in the region of a combined 500 million albums worldwide.
Dudamel is a renowned Venezuelan conductor who is due to leave the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra to become the artistic director of the New York Philharmonic.
PS22 Chorus is exactly what it sounds like: an award-winning public school choir from Staten Island’s biggest elementary school. Since it was founded in 2000, the chorus has made more television appearances than Stephen Mangan and Richard Osman combined.
“I’ve spent my life doing two things – making songs and building schools,” said Shakira, sadly not adding ‘and I’ve run out of songs.’
“At the FIFA World Cup, those two paths come together. Standing alongside Madonna and BTS, I’ll be performing ‘Dai Dai’, the song I created for this World Cup and for the kids around the world we will reach with the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
“My hope is that on the world’s biggest stage, the importance of investing in children’s education steals the show!”
