The inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™ Final Halftime Show, presented by Panini, made history today, bringing together a truly international lineup of superstars who captivated audiences worldwide while advancing the opportunity for millions of children to receive access to quality education.
The first-of-its-kind halftime show, produced by Global Citizen and curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay, showcased the power of music to unite cultures and drive meaningful change, and was viewed live around the world.
The spectacular show featured artists representing five continents, all of whom donated their
time for free, demonstrating music’s unique ability to transcend borders and unify the world.
Colombian superstar J Balvin brought Latin energy to the global stage, while Nigerian
Afrobeats sensation Tems showcased the vibrant sounds of West Africa.
GRAMMY-winning American artist Doja Cat delivered an electrifying performance that had the MetLife Stadium crowd on their feet, and Coldplay joined the show for a surprise performance of the band’s hit ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’, featuring a guest appearance from Australian singer Emmanuel Kelly.
Against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, the first halftime show at a FIFA event was
staged high above the pitch among MetLife Stadium’s upper level seats. A dedicated platform
and innovative set design built into the stadium’s stands provided the impressive crowd with a
spectacular show, while also ensuring the pitch remained preserved for the historic match.
“Today we witnessed something truly historic – artists representing the Americas, Africa, Europe
and Oceania coming together on football’s biggest stage for the first ever FIFA halftime show,”
said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen. “This international lineup perfectly
embodied the idea that music and football can unite the world, and when we take action
together, we can make an outsized impact to help children around the world access quality
education.”
Major moments from the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™ Final Halftime Show:
● J Balvin (Colombia) had the entire stadium dancing along to global hits ‘Mi Gente’ and
‘Reggaeton’. His performance, surrounded by drummers and dancers, celebrated Latin
culture on the world stage;
● Tems (Nigeria) brought Afrobeats to the forefront with ‘Love Me JeJe’, highlighting the
global impact of African music and culture;
● Doja Cat (United States) delivered a high-energy performance of her smash hit
‘Woman’, giving global audiences an unforgettable performance;
● Coldplay (UK) surprised the sold out stadium when they took to the stage to play ‘A Sky
Full Of Stars’.
They were joined by Emmanuel Kelly (Australia), whose inspiring story
of resilience, having been found on a battlefield in Iraq and living with the aftereffects of
chemical warfare, saw him become the first differently abled pop artist to perform in a
halftime show.
Broadcast live and for free on DAZN.com, the halftime event was created as part of a four-year
partnership between FIFA and Global Citizen to help improve access to football and quality
education for children through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Together, FIFA and
Global Citizen aim to raise USD $100 million for quality education access worldwide. So far, $10
million has been raised to support literacy, reading, and writing programs. This funding is
expected to reach over 150 communities and impact the lives of 10,000 children. (Using a
baseline of $1,000 per student per year – which reflects the typical average cost globally of
delivering basic P–12 education
1
.)
This historic performance marks the beginning of an innovative FIFA-Global Citizen partnership
that will extend to produce the first-ever FIFA World Cup™ Final Halftime Show in New York
New Jersey on July 19, 2026.
The show was produced by Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation, Done+Dusted, and
DPS. It was directed by Hamish Hamilton with executive producers Guy Carrington, Hamish
Hamilton, and Dave Meyers.
About Global Citizen
Global Citizen is the world’s leading international advocacy organisation on a mission to end
extreme poverty NOW. Powered by a worldwide community of everyday advocates raising their
voices and taking action, the movement is amplified by campaigns and events that convene
1 Based on publicly available data from the World Bank, UNESCO, and OECD, which show that average annual education spending per primary and secondary student typically ranges from $300–$15,000 depending on income level. A $1,000 figure reflects a conservative global average across low- and middle-income contexts.
leaders in music, entertainment, public policy, media, philanthropy and the corporate sector.
Since the movement began, USD 49 billion in commitments announced on Global Citizen
platforms has been deployed, impacting 1.3 billion lives. Established in Australia in 2008, Global
Citizen’s team operates from New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin,
Geneva, Melbourne, Toronto, Johannesburg, Lagos and beyond. Join the movement at
globalcitizen.org, download the Global Citizen app, and follow Global Citizen on TikTok,
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