After “Waka Waka” ruled the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Shakira’s journey now seems to have come full circle. The global pop star is now stepping into football’s first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show at the 2026 World Cup final. One would expect an artist of her stature to charge enormously for a stage this massive, but that is not the case here. Alongside Madonna and BTS, Shakira is set to be part of a historic spectacle that could completely change how fans experience a World Cup final. That, too, for free.

Madonna, Shakira, and BTS are not taking performance fees and are instead giving their time to support a social cause. The halftime show will help FIFA’s Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children around the world during the World Cup.

So, this new FIFA initiative is not only about entertainment or bringing fans’ favorite singers together on one stage. It is also meant to help children by supporting their education. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the initiative aims to improve access to both quality education and football for children worldwide. Shakira also announced her exclusive song titled “Dai Dai” in a post on her Instagram account just for the halftime show. She even explained the entire mindset while recording it.

“Since I was 18, I’ve spent my entire life doing two things, making songs and building schools,” Shakira said. “So finally, during this World Cup, those two paths meet, come together, and I’m very excited. I’ve created the song, ‘Dai Dai’, specifically for this World Cup, but also for so many kids around the world who don’t have a voice and who are waiting for an opportunity, kids who don’t have access to quality education, and kids who are being left behind.”

The song, which also features Nigerian artist Burna Boy, is expected to serve as one of the major musical themes around the 2026 World Cup.

The line-up has been curated by the lead singer of Coldplay, Chris Martin, and the entire show is being produced by Global Citizen. What makes it even more special is that it will be completely free for fans, so “no strings attached.”

Traditionally, halftime during a World Cup final was only for players to rest, coaches to make plans, and broadcasters to run analysis. There were no concerts or big music performances during the break. That is why this new halftime show feels so historic and different from past World Cups.

The event already feels massive because the 2026 World Cup itself will be the biggest in history, featuring 48 teams, 104 matches, and three host countries, which are the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Now FIFA is making it even bigger by bringing together some of the world’s most famous music stars under one roof. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had first announced plans for a halftime show back in 2025, calling it “a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world.”

This halftime show is heavily inspired by the Super Bowl. Over the years, stars like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Bad Bunny helped turn the halftime show into a massive pop culture event. Now FIFA appears to be trying something similar with the 2026 World Cup final in the United States. Another major change will be with FIFA’s halftime, which is strictly set to 15 minutes now.

But since such a big show needs time to build and remove the stage, the halftime break will probably last much longer than expected. A similar thing happens during the Super Bowl in America. Although the actual performances usually last around 13 minutes, the overall break often stretches close to 30 minutes because of stage setup and removal.

FIFA has still not officially confirmed how long the World Cup final halftime interval will last, though reports suggest the combined performances from Madonna, BTS, and Shakira could run for around 11 minutes.

FIFA tested a similar halftime format last year during the Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. Artists J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems performed during halftime before the match between PSG and Chelsea continued. Unlike the upcoming World Cup final, that performance happened on a stage built high in the stands instead of on the pitch itself to avoid affecting the playing surface. Because of the music performance, the halftime break became much longer than normal and lasted around 25 minutes instead of the usual 15. Many people saw that event as a practice run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

But this doesn’t bring in excitement for all the fans.

Is the Super Bowl like a culture change too hard to take for FIFA fans?

FIFA’s decision to add a Super Bowl-style halftime show to the 2026 World Cup final created a huge debate among soccer fans around the world. Many fans felt FIFA was trying too hard to copy the NFL’s Super Bowl entertainment style instead of keeping football traditions the same. In soccer, halftime is usually quiet and simple because players use those 15 minutes to rest, recover, listen to coaches, and prepare for the second half.

Because of that, many fans did not like the idea of turning the World Cup final into a big concert show. Some X users openly showed their frustration. One fan wrote, “Btw I don’t think football fans will like halftime show lmao they are not like American football fans.” Another added, “Also, I hate that us is trying to make everything Americanized.”

Well, the concern is mainly around halftime, as in soccer, it normally lasts only for 15 minutes. Players use that short break to rest, recover, drink water, and listen to their coaches before the second half starts. But Super Bowl halftime shows in American football usually last close to 30 minutes because of the huge stage setup and performances.

Since FIFA plans to have three massive global acts perform together, many fans wondered if the halftime break would become much longer than normal, which could break the rhythm of the match.

But let’s not forget Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will bring a global fanbase to FIFA. The strategy also reflects how FIFA increasingly sees the World Cup as not just a football tournament, but a global entertainment event capable of pulling audiences far beyond traditional sports fans. So, last year’s Seahawks Super Bowl win was watched by about 125.6 million people in the United States. But if you compare it with FIFA’s 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, the views that reached 1.42 billion viewers worldwide are a pretty small number.

So, more than fan satisfaction, it’s an investment, and let’s wait and see how this turns out for them.