[Sports Seoul | Reporter Yoon Dong-eon] For the first time in World Cup history, the 2026 North and Central America World Cup final will feature a halftime show.
Organizers are planning a Super Bowl–style production for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 (local time). The move represents a World Cup first and is intended to fuse sport with large-scale entertainment.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that British band Coldplay is the first act locked in. Lead singer Chris Martin and the band’s manager, Phil Harvey, will oversee the show’s planning and direction.
Coldplay will headline the performance and is expected to handpick several international artists to join them onstage. The band’s past collaboration and onstage work with BTS has already drawn attention from ARMY fans worldwide. Notably, BTS member Jungkook was the first Korean artist to perform at a World Cup, appearing at the 2022 Qatar opening ceremony.
Planners developed the halftime show with the expanded 48-team tournament in mind, aiming to elevate the event beyond a single match into a global cultural spectacle. To protect the playing surface, they plan to install a special temporary stage above the field.
FIFA expects the halftime show to deliver a new visual highlight for hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide and to strengthen the World Cup’s entertainment appeal. hellboy321@sportsseoul.com
