World Cup halftime show: What time to watch it live today
The world cup halfime show during Sunday's Spain-Argentina World Cup final should start around 3:45 to 3:50 p.m. ET, shortly after the 3 p.m. ET kickoff. Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, and Shakira headline FIFA's first Super Bowl-style final performance live today.
For music fans and soccer traditionalists alike, this is a genuine then-and-now moment. The World Cup final has long been about the pitch alone. Today, FIFA is adding a packed pop spectacle between halves at New York New Jersey Stadium, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and tied to a global education cause.
If you are mainly here for the music, tune in before 3:45 p.m. ET so you do not miss the opening. Below is when it airs, who is on the bill, and how to watch in English or Spanish.
Key Takeaways
- The world cup halftime show is expected around 3:45–3:50 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 19, 2026, after a 3 p.m. ET kickoff.
- Headliners include Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, and Shakira, with Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay, Sesame Street, and The Muppets also appearing.
- The performance itself is set for about 11 minutes, though the full break may stretch toward 30 minutes for stage setup and teardown.
- English coverage airs on Fox and streams via Fox One and the Fox Sports app; Spanish coverage is on Telemundo and Peacock.
- The show supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children's education and soccer programs.
What time is the world cup halftime show today?
Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina kicks off at 3 p.m. ET. FIFA and Global Citizen have not published an exact start time for the world cup halfime show because soccer does not pause on a fixed commercial clock the way the Super Bowl does.
The first half lasts 45 minutes, and stoppage time will push the break later by several minutes. Mashable reports that, if the match starts on time and there are no major delays, the show should begin sometime around 3:45 to 3:50 p.m. ET.
Viewers who care most about the music should be watching before 3:45 p.m. ET. Waiting until the whistle alone can mean missing the first moments of the set.
That timing uncertainty is part of why this debut feels so different from a traditional World Cup final. Halftime used to be a short reset between halves. Now the entertainment window is one of the first questions many viewers ask.
Who is performing in FIFA's first final halfime show?
The headliners are Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, and Shakira—the stars at the center of today's world cup halfime show.
Also scheduled to appear are Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay, plus characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets. Coldplay's Chris Martin curated the show.
It is FIFA's first Super Bowl-style World Cup final halfime show. For a nostalgia then-and-now read, the contrast is sharp: older finals were remembered for goals and drama; this one will also be judged on an 11-minute music set.
The performance is planned to last 11 minutes. The wider interval could run longer because crews need time to build and remove the stage. Broadcasters are preparing for the usual 15-minute break to stretch as long as 30 minutes.
Why does a longer World Cup halfime break matter?
Not everyone welcomes a Super Bowl-length pause. Soccer's rulemaking body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), normally limits halfime to 15 minutes.
IFAB even rejected a 2021 proposal to extend the break to 25 minutes, citing player welfare and the risks of keeping athletes inactive for too long. Stretching toward half an hour for a stage show therefore sits uneasily with that history.
Some fans also read the longer break as another push to turn the World Cup into an American-style television event, where entertainment and ad breaks become almost as important as the game.
For more on the tournament's own framing of the spectacle, see FIFA's official site, which remains the governing authority for the competition and its partners.
How can you watch Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, and Shakira live?
The world cup halfime show airs as part of the World Cup final broadcast. English-language coverage is available on Fox. You can also stream through Fox One and the Fox Sports app.
Fox's pregame coverage begins at noon ET, three hours before kickoff. That early window is useful if you want context on Spain versus Argentina before the music starts.
Spanish-language coverage airs on Telemundo and streams on Peacock. Peacock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers can access all 104 World Cup matches live in Spanish, including the final and its halfime performance.
Wherever you watch, the practical tip is the same: be locked in before 3:45 p.m. ET if the artists are your priority.
What cause is the world cup halfime show supporting?
Beyond the celebrity bill, the show is tied to fundraising. It supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to expand access to education and soccer programs for children around the world.
FIFA says more than $50 million has already been raised, including $1 donated from every ticket sold during the tournament. That charity frame is how organizers present the debut of a format borrowed from American big-game entertainment.
In short: the world cup halfime show is live today around 3:45–3:50 p.m. ET during Spain vs. Argentina, headlined by Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, and Shakira, and available on Fox in English or Telemundo and Peacock in Spanish.