Football is constantly evolving, and the change train just took a pit stop at the FIFA World Cup. From recent reports, the soccer world is going to experience some groundbreaking addition at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States: an NFL-styled halftime show. This new development was embraced to trigger a new shift in the tourney's entertainment offerings.
The whole idea is being borrowed from the NFL Super Bowl halftime show - a traditional 15-minute show during the breaks at Super Bowl events. But, how is this new development going to work out for soccer? And who came up with this new entertainment strategy? You will find answers below.
Partnership Between FIFA and Global Citizen
The genesis of this show was when the world football governing body, FIFA, partnered with Global Citizen — an organization renowned for its advocacy in eradicating poverty, promoting quality education, and making access to sports much more easier.
Global Citizen recently proposed the idea to produce the halftime show at the finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The organization signed a four year partnership deal with FIFA that will allow it to use the collective influence of football and entertainment to achieve its missions. With this partnership, Global Citizen intends to engage fans worldwide, support local communities and promote access to football.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has recently praised the work that Global Citizen is doing and hinted at it being the reason for accepting the halftime show proposal. The football chief believes the organization can utilize the huge following of the World Cup to spread its message. Global Citizen’s CEO Hugh Evans was also excited about the opportunity and highlighted how its shared vision with FIFA would activate action-takers.
The Halftime Show Details
So, what’s the show going to be like? We can’t say for now. The inaugural halftime show will debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, to be held at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026. However, the lineup for the performances hasn’t yet been announced. Ideally, announcing the lineup for the inaugural World Cup Final halftime show is expected to raise the expectations for the show. There is more than enough time to sort that out.
If we are to predict the kind of stars that would grace the event going by recent trends we’ve seen at the Super Bowl halftime shows, football fans should expect some big wigs. Over the years, superstars such as Rihanna, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Usher, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and more have performed at the Super Bowl halftime show.
There are already rumors that the 2026 FIFA World Cup halftime show might be headlined by Drake. While this is unconfirmed yet, we currently know that the Canadian-born rap superstar has already taken keen interest in the tournament, and have told FIFA officials it will be a huge success.
The Right Move? Yay or Nay?
This new development has sparked several debates and controversies in recent weeks. Many acclaimed ‘football purists’ feel it is a wrong turn, and they believe it is an attempt to Americanize football. For some fans, a halftime show at the FIFA World Cup Final is seen as a monetary move by the football governing body (FIFA). They believe the focus of the event is to be entertained by the spectacular football players by the players and not some musicians.
For others though, the halftime show is a welcome idea, as it means football will join the list of other sports who have embraced such performances in important finals. These individuals believe that this new show would add some needed high-energy entertainment and fun to the game.
Regardless of where you stand, it is important to admit that the world is changing, and we should expect to see changes in every sphere of our lives. Football is not an exception. Whether a halftime show is here to stay or not, only time will tell, but there’s no denying that football will continue to see and embrace several changes, even if the acclaimed purists do not like them.