2026 FIFA World Cup final to feature halftime show
Soccer is looking for its own Super Bowl moment...
The Super Bowl halftime show has almost become as important and entertaining as the actual NFL game that takes place that evening.
Rihanna performed during the 2023 halftime show and it was the most-watched halftime performance ever, which also inspired posts like this:
Oh… so they were serious about playing this football game during Rihanna’s concert pic.twitter.com/HtdF6dfpxY
— ZquadBlink (@_jisoos_blink) February 13, 2023
THIS IS WHAT WE CAME FOR: Rihanna won #SuperBowlLVII. 🏆 (📷: Getty) pic.twitter.com/7IYTBxwPRL
— E! News (@enews) February 13, 2023
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While many might confuse the two types of football, soccer and American, there are many obvious differences between the two sports.
According to statistics, the 2024 NFL Super Bowl reached a new record with 62.5-million total viewers globally, while the 2022 FIFA World Cup final drew 1.1-billion viewers globally.
Now, FIFA is looking to put on more of a show by taking inspiration from the NFL and adding a halftime show to the World Cup final.
FIFA and Global Citizen have announced a new partnership with a four-year agreement.
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Global Citizen, an advocacy organisation that produces entertainment events, will produce the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show.
The United States of America will host the 2026 World Cup, and the final will take place in New York's New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026.
So it is sure to be quite the spectacle.
Just as music has the power to change the world, sport does too. At #GlobalCitizenFestival, we announced a four year partnership with FIFA to mobilize football fans globally to help end extreme poverty. pic.twitter.com/sscxAKJvDu
— Global Citizen ⭕ (@GlblCtzn) September 28, 2024
The companies announced the news during the Global Citizen Festival in New York City, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans joined by actor Hugh Jackman, one of GC's official ambassadors.
FIFA’s mission is to develop football in every corner of the world and to have a positive impact on society. Through this partnership, FIFA and Global Citizen will bring together the worlds of sport and entertainment to actively contribute to a better world. We are committing to a series of joint activities that will help promote access to football and engage fans of the sport in an effort to create positive change in their local communities.
Although it is still some time before the World Cup in 2026, Global Citizen will be participating in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.
Evans has also mentioned the impact the viewership of the World Cup could have:
Together with FIFA, we have a remarkable opportunity to broaden our movement of action takers…. FIFA and Global Citizen share a common vision to work with football fans around the world with a view to driving positive action towards ending extreme poverty by ensuring that all children have access to quality education.
Now the only question is, which artist or band will be lucky enough to take the stage at the first-ever World Cup halftime show and perform for more than a billion people?
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Main image courtesy of ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP