Justin Bieber has joined the star-studded list of half-time performers who will close out the 2026 World Cup in New York, performing alongside Madonna, Shakira, and K-pop ensemble BTS during the tournament’s first-ever Super Bowl-style half-time show on 19th July.
Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay, and the Sesame Street muppets are also set to appear during the 11-minute set, which supports the Fifa Global Citizen Education Fund.
In a statement, Bieber said: “The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can.”
The appearance marks a significant return for Bieber, who spent much of the past four years away from the stage following health issues that led to the cancellation of his Justice world tour. In the spring, he returned with a nostalgia-fuelled set at the Coachella festival in California, his biggest live show in four years.
The 32-year-old spent much of that performance sitting in front of a laptop and singing to YouTube music videos of his older hits, including “Baby,” “Never Say Never,” “One Time,” and “Beauty and the Beat.”
The half-time show has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and will raise money for the Fifa Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million for children worldwide.
Colombian pop star Shakira and Nigerian musician Burna Boy – who were among the performers who opened the tournament across the three North America host nations – will also return to the stage together. Their global hit “Dai Dai” has dominated music charts and become a fixture at matches since the tournament launched on 11th June.
The biggest-ever World Cup kicked off with 48 teams playing across Mexico, Canada, and the US, but the national teams for all three host nations have since been eliminated. Eight teams remain as the quarter-finals resume on Thursday when France meet Morocco in Boston.
Spain and Belgium face off in Los Angeles on Friday, and Norway and England meet in Miami on Saturday. Defending world champion Argentina plays Switzerland in Kansas City on Saturday.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi leads the tournament’s Golden Boot race with eight goals, already making history several times over. He is trailed by Kylian Mbappé of France and Norway’s Erling Haaland, who both have seven goals, and England’s Harry Kane, who has six.
