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Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has announced details of its historic half-time show at the World Cup final in New Jersey this July.
The climax of the highly anticipated sporting contest at the MetLife Stadium will feature a star-studded performance headed, no pun intended, by Madonna, Shakira and boy band BTS.
Curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, it’ll be first time FIFA has staged a show during its flagship event.
Keen to match the global reach and lucrative advertising pull of the American Football’s Superbowl, FIFA is taking a big page out of the NFL’s playbook.
This year’s Superbowl featured Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny while previous headliners have included Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said it would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.”
Previous performance
Shakira of course is no stranger to performing at World Cups having sung at several opening and closing ceremonies, but there’s never been a mini-concert during the break in football.
Last week, the Colombian singer announced that she’s teamed up with Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy for “Dai Dai”, the official song of the World Cup
“Dai Dai brings together the global sounds and energy of Shakira and Burna Boy in a vibrant celebration of football, culture and unity,” FIFA said marking its official release on Thursday.
FIFA said royalties from the song, which is available on major streaming platforms, will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
The 2026 World Cup which begins next month will also be historic as it’s the first to be co-hosted by three countries, the United States, Canada and Mexico. In addition, it will inaugurate the larger tournament featuring 48-teams.
Additional sources • AP