Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will take the MetLife Stadium stage on July 19 for the World Cup final’s inaugural halftime show. The grand unveiling has been on the cards since 2024, when, at its annual New York festival, Global Citizen announced a four-year partnership with FIFA. Global Citizen mainstay Chris Martin selected the acts for this year’s show, enlisting Sesame Street characters to help with the announcement, as you can see below. Given Martin’s prolific record as the world’s surprise guest, he may well turn up during the performance itself.

In a press release, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS touted the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, founded to help children around the world access good education and soccer. “Without education, children are denied opportunity before they even have a chance,” said Madonna. Shakira claimed she had spent her life “doing two things—making songs and building schools,” pursuits that have now, at last, aligned. BTS called music “the universal language of hope and harmony,” adding that they would “celebrate that power at the World Cup…. in support of children’s education.”

FIFA had already unveiled multiple shows in the buildup to today’s announcement, heralding a switch to Super Bowl-style spectacle at the soccer tournament. In another first, a star-studded opening ceremony will feature the likes of Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, and Lisa. Last month, Shakira released an official World Cup anthem, “Dai Dai”—the latest in a string of high-profile releases from the singer since her 2023 admission of failing to pay $15.8 million in back taxes.

Last year, FIFA’s newer Club World Cup event hosted a trial run of sorts, in the form of a halftime show co-headlined by Doja Cat, Tems, and J Balvin.