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FIFA expects ‘a couple of billion’ to tune in to the ۱۱-minute performance, the first at a World Cup.
Published On ۸ Jul ۲۰۲۶
Justin Bieber has been added to the star-packed lineup of the first-ever World Cup final halftime show as organisers confirmed that the entire musical performance will last ۱۱ minutes.
Canadian megastar Bieber joins Madonna, Shakira and K-pop sensation BTS for the Super Bowl-style halftime show on July ۱۹ at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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Coldplay’s Chris Martin is curating the extravaganza, a first for a football World Cup final and one that has raised concerns over how long the game’s halftime break will be.
The laws of football allow a halftime interval “not exceeding ۱۵ minutes”. Even an ۱۱-minute musical performance could still require the break to be extended, given the time likely required to set up and disassemble the show.
But the announcement will assuage concerns raised by previous speculation that the World Cup final halftime show itself could stretch for as long as ۲۵ minutes.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has said the halftime show will be “definitely the biggest stage ever”, with “a couple of billion” expected to tune in.
The show, which will also feature characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, will support FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $۱۰۰m for children worldwide during the World Cup.
“The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can,” Bieber said in a statement.
“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,” added the Stay and Love Yourself hitmaker.
Also added to the lineup in Wednesday’s announcement were Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy and Venezuelan classical conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
Coldplay will feature in a collaboration with PS۲۲ Chorus, an acclaimed choir of students from a New York public elementary school.
“This is the single largest gathering of artists united for a cause since Live Aid, and it could well be the most-watched ۱۱ minutes of broadcast music performance in history,” said Hugh Evans, cofounder and CEO of anti-poverty campaign group and concert organiser Global Citizen.
At ۱۱ minutes, the World Cup final halftime show would be slightly shorter than most recent Super Bowl halftime performances, which have typically been about ۱۳–۱۴ minutes long.
A halftime show was trialled at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup final, also at MetLife Stadium.
It stretched the entire break to just over ۲۴ minutes, drawing some criticism over the potential impact on players’ performance.
