Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso performs during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Topps Final Halftime Show at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, N.J.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Global Citizen
After a day of wildfire smoke that choked the air and thunderstorms that flooded parts of New York City, Sunday, July 19th dawned bright, clear and beautiful, the perfect setting for an event on which all eyes around the globe would be centered: the 2026 World Cup Final.
And with Spain and Argentina contesting the first all-Spanish-language final since the inaugural 1930 event (in which Uruguay bested Argentina), one word filled the air more than any other as fans began to mass around NYC’s Penn Station to take the trains or buses to New York, New Jersey stadium for the game: Vamos!
On the way to the stadium for the biggest — and most expensive — game of this month-long World Cup, Argentinian fans were singing loudly and joyously, with a sea of Lionel Messi jerseys far out-numbering those in Spain’s traditional red, with those supporters of La Roja nearly as unanimous as their counterparts in wearing the name and number of their 19-year-old superstar Lamine Yamal, a successor to Messi at the famed club Barcelona. But after a relatively simple transit situation (a relief after repeated warnings that things could get packed and hectic) that gave way to a media credential nightmare that left many media members stranded outside for hours in the early afternoon, Billboard made it into the stadium in time to catch the closing ceremonies, headlined by Post Malone, who closed up his brief set by bringing out Swae Lee for their smash hit single “Sunflower,” before the stadium settled into a pre-match tension that lasted until kickoff.
This, however, was not an ordinary World Cup Final: the 2026 edition was to be the first ever with a halftime performance akin in some ways to the Super Bowl, with superstars like Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, and more performing in a tight-knit 11-minute set at the half. Here, Billboard brings you through TK moments you may not have seen on TV during the high-profile event.
More new music from Gracie Abrams is arriving Sunday night (July 19). After unleashing new album Daughter From Hell on Friday, the singer-songwriter announced there are two additional tracks from the DFH sessions that fans will get to hear. Though they didn’t make the cut on the standard version of the album, “Out of Nowhere” and “Love Letter” are being made available as bonus tracks.
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The two songs will be up exclusively on iTunes Sunday night, and only “for a limited time,” Abrams shared in a social media post.
Her post included her personal thoughts on the songs, as well as her gratitude for those who’ve listened to Daughter From Hell and shared positive feedback. Abrams also offered a couple selfie video clips of herself giving a very short, but playfully dramatic, preview of “Out of Nowhere” and “Love Letter.”
“Hey SURPRISE,” Abrams wrote on her social media accounts on Sunday. “Daughter from Hell (Bonus Tracks) with OUT OF NOWHERE and LOVE LETTER will be available to download tonight at 6pm PT on iTunes for a limited time if you can believe it.”
She added, “I’m so moved to hear from those of you who are connecting with the record so far. Really truly your messages have made my heart grow ten sizes. Fingers crossed you enjoy these too. I personally love them very much.”
Daughter From Hell is Abrams’ third full-length studio album, which has her once again teaming up with producer/co-writer Aaron Dessner. The set, the follow-up to 2024’s The Secret of Us (which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart), was led by the single “Hit the Wall.”
Morgan Wallen revealed the title and release date of his next single on Saturday night (July 18), giving fans the first listen of “Been By Now.”
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Wallen played the song live for the first time at his show in Baltimore, Md., at M&T Bank Stadium and revealed it’ll officially be released on Friday (July 24), as seen in videos filmed by concertgoers. He’s currently on his Still the Problem Tour, which brings him to Ann Arbor, Mich., next weekend and then wraps in Philadelphia, Pa.
Post-show, he shared a 40-second clip of the recorded version of “Been By Now” on social media.
“If it was meant to be, we’d have been by now/ We wouldn’t have to keep trying to work things out,” Wallen sings on the midtempo track that seems to be about a relationship that isn’t progressing, even though “baby, we’re a breeze when the lights go down.”
“Been By Now” will be the country star’s first new song release since his “I Can’t Love You Anymore” duet with Ella Langley, which arrived in April, and his 2025 hit album I’m the Problem, which spent a total of 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; it’s still appearing in the top 10 of the all-genre chart, landing at No. 3 on this week’s ranking. I’m the Problem currently leads the Top Country Albums chart (dated July 25) for the 45th nonconsecutive week — and he’s the artist with the most weeks at No. 1 in the chart’s 62-year history.
He has yet to announce any news about an upcoming studio album.
“Been By Now” can be pre-saved on streaming services here. Preview the new song via Wallen’s post on X below.
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Viva España! Spain has won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the Spanish men’s national soccer team taking down Argentina by a score of 2-1 in Sunday’s tournament finale.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in extra time, in a World Cup final that also saw Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna, Shakira, Coldplay and others perform during the halftime show.
Now, fans can celebrate the team’s win with official Spain World Cup winners merch online. The apparel and collectibles site Fanatics, has official Team Spain World Cup champions T-shirts, hoodies and jerseys available to buy right now.
As a description teases, “The Spain National Team stands atop the soccer world after outlasting the best of the best on the sport’s biggest stage. Wear the moment, relive the glory, and celebrate a team that gave everything to become champions.”
JUST RELEASED
Spain National Team 1863FC 2026 Champions Legacy T-Shirt
This unisex T-shirt celebrates La Roja and their big World Cup win with the team crest on the front and a streetwear-style graphic on the back.
The 100% cotton tee is available in sizes small to 2XL. This is an officially-licensed T-shirt from the merch and apparel brand 1863FC, named after the year the first ever Football Association originated.
OFFICIAL TEAM COLORS
Spain National Team 1863FC 2026 Champions T-Shirt
You can also pick up this T-shirt in the official Spanish national team colors of yellow and red.
The T-shirt features a simple logo on the front and the year 2026 in bold on the back along with the words Selección de fútbol de España — a.k.a. the Spanish national football team.
OFFICIAL HOODIE
Spain National Team adidas 2026 FIFA World Cup Champions Trophy Hoodie
Celebrate the Spanish champions — or campeónes — with this official World Cup winners hoodie.
The unisex hoodie features a crest with the FIFA World Cup trophy in gold on the front and the word ESPANA and the number 26 (for the year 2026) on the back. Choose from sizes small to 3XL.
ACT FAST
Spain National Team Adidas 2026 FIFA World Cup Champions Replica Jersey
You can pick up this official Spain World Cup jersey on the Fanatics website, now with the addition of a 2026 World Cup Champions patch.
This is an official Adidas replica soccer jersey, inspired by the same kits worn by the team on the pitch. The jersey is made from the brand’s “Climacool” sweat-wicking material, with the Adidas logo on the front and three stripes along the shoulder. This item is available in sizes XS to 2XL and is expected to sell quickly so we recommend adding to cart while your size is still in stock online.
You can see more officially licensed Spain World Cup champions merch — including Lamine Yamal jerseys — online at Fanatics.com.
ALSO AVAILABLE
World Cup 2026 Spain T-Shirt
And you can pick up this T-shirt on Amazon, available in ten different colors and in multiple sizes for men and women.
This Spain World Cup winners shirt features the phrase por la victoria — for the win.
Sunday’s victory marked the second World Cup win for Spain, who also took home the trophy in 2010.
Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem leads Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart (dated July 25) for the 45th nonconsecutive week. This ups Wallen’s career tally of weeks at No. 1 to 231, allowing him to extend his lead as the artist with the most weeks at No. 1 in the chart’s 62-year history.
Wallen’s achievement is especially impressive because he has amassed this hefty total of weeks at No. 1 in such a short amount of time. He first topped the chart on Aug. 15, 2020.
Before returning to No. 1 this week, I’m the Problem spent the past 13 weeks at No. 2 behind Ella Langley‘s Dandelion. That was the longest Wallen has been locked out of the top spot since he rose to superstar status in January 2021 with Dangerous: The Double Album.
Top Country Albums originated as Hot Country Albums in the Jan. 11, 1964 issue of Billboard. Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire (The Best of Johnny Cash) headed the inaugural chart. The compilation was well-timed: “Ring of Fire” had headed Hot Country Songs for seven weeks the previous summer and had crossed over to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The chart was named Hot Country LP’s from 1968 to 1984, when vinyl LPs were king.
Twenty-one artists have logged 50 or more weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Male solo artists dominate, as you might expect, though three female solo artists have achieved the feat, as have two groups. (One of those groups is an all-female group.) Only one Black artist has amassed 50 or more weeks at No. 1, though that may change as country becomes more inclusive.
Here’s a look at all artists who have topped Top Country Albums for 50 or more weeks.
Justin Bieber got a pep talk from Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Halftime Show. In between superstar music performances at the Spain vs. Argentina match on Sunday (July 19), Lasso walked the stadium with the Apple TV+ series’ Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) with commentary on how the entertainment was going so far — and then put Bieber on the field to serenade the world with “Everything Hallelujah.”
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“Coach, I gotta say, first half of halftime knocked my darn socks off,” said Lasso, as played by Sudeikis in the surprise appearance by the Ted Lasso actors at New York New Jersey Stadium (aka MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, N.J. “How the heck is anyone gonna follow all that?”
Then the Belieber within rose: “You know what I think we need? We need some heart. You know, someone who has soul. Someone who can bring the love. Ooo. You thinking what I’m thinking?”
Enter Bieber, head down and acoustic guitar in hand, ready for Lasso’s words of encouragement.
“All right, young man,” he tells the pop star. “Let’s go! It’s your big shot. OK. Listen to me. Go out there. Don’t be nervous. Nobody’s watching. Make us proud.”
The bit led into Bieber delivering a smooth performance of “Everything Hallelujah,” from Swag II. It was quieter, earnest moment in an 11-minute halftime show full of high energy in musical performances from Madonna, BTS, Shakira with Burna Boy, Coldplay and more.
TheTed Lasso and Bieber segment was shared by FOX, the network broadcasting the 2026 World Cup, on social media. Watch the clip below, followed by the full halftime show, which FOX uploaded to YouTube.
FIFA and football; the NFL and football. The two different sports that share a name now share another thing – a star-studded, hyped-up halftime show.
Halftime shows have been part of the Super Bowl since 1967, its inaugural year, but 2026 marks the first major halftime show at the World Cup, which has been going on since 1930.
The change certainly has a little something to do with the fact that the final FIFA World Cup showdown takes place in the United States this year (New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, to be exact). And Lord knows that Americans love a halftime show. Each year, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is reliably the most-watched single broadcast in the U.S., outpacing the second-most-watched broadcast by millions.
So: was the FIFA World Cup Halftime Show on Sunday (July 19) basically the Super Bowl Halftime Show during a soccer game, or did it feel like a fresh, distinct event?
Things certainly felt different from the start. Not to state the obvious, but the Super Bowl opens with three slow-building ballads: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” part of the Super Bowl from the start; “America the Beautiful,” sung annually since 2009 (though it was also performed in 1977, the sole year the National Anthem wasn’t performed at a Super Bowl); and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black National Anthem, sung at Super Bowls since 2021. These are emotionally impactful, vocally demanding songs that bring out ace singers, but not spectacle: people have their hands over their hearts during the National Anthem, they’re not doing choreo.
The FIFA World Cup, however, opened with pure spectacle: A Busby Berkeley-esque musical number called “Champions” by streamer IShowSpeed that involved dancers and musicians traipsing around an on-field image of the Empire State Building, augmented by bird’s-eye shots of a soccer ball stage. (Helpfully, the song made a point to let people know that “this is the World Cup” no fewer than 27 times – just in case anyone was confused.)
After that, Post Malone – decked out in his country duds but back to rapping – debuted a new song, “Chrome Heartbreaker,” and brought out Swae Lee for their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Sunflower.” This “closing ceremony” performance was less spectacle than you’d get from a Super Bowl Halftime Show, yet more than you’d see in a pregame Super Bowl performance. For any Americans tuning into a World Cup for the first time, it let them know the vibes would be different.
More than an hour later, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini teamed up to blend voices on “Desire (Official FIFA Anthem)” while flags from dozens of countries waved around them. It was an emotionally charged performance, akin to what you’d get before an NFL kickoff, but it honestly felt more like something you’d see during the Olympics — it felt international, not national. (Which makes sense given that it was, as IShowSpeed repeatedly reminded us, the World Cup.)
Jennifer Hudson’s knockout rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” however, felt very Super Bowl – clearly an olive branch to American viewers accustomed to years of hearing the U.S. National Anthem before each and every sports game. Even so, the fact that two additional national anthems were performed before the match – Spain’s “Marcha Real” by a brass band (it has no lyrics) and Argentina’s national anthem, sung by Maria Becerra – reminded everyone that even though the game was taking place in America, this was all about Spain and Argentina.
But what about the actual FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, produced by Global Citizen, featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Burna Boy, the New York Philharmonic, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem? Two of the aforementioned artists have headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show before (Madonna in 2012, Shakira in 2020 alongside Jennifer Lopez) while Chris Martin, the World Cup Halftime Show curator, headlined the 2016 halftime show as part of Coldplay. After an hour of soccer, was that 11-minute performance a taste of the familiar dropped into a new context?
Taken on their own, individual performances certainly had shades of Super Bowl: Madonna’s madcap musical medley (“Music,” “Disco Inferno” and “Danceteria”) on a dune buggy; Shakira’s hip-swiveling version of “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy on the field; and BTS’ pyro-laden performance of “Dynamite” all could have existed in the context of a Super Bowl. And there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, there’s a reason people keep tuning into the Super Bowl Halftime Show year after year – it’s entertaining! And those artists absolutely understood the assignment.
But for every moment that felt Super Bowl-esque, there was another one occupying a much different space from modern halftime shows.
Classical music maestro Gustavo Dudamel, wearing a pinstriped suit with his name and number on the back, joined the Muppets’ Electric Mayhem and the New York Philharmonic to sound the battle cry of “Seven Nation Army.” Watching Animal pound out the White Stripes’ primal percussion while professional violin players grunted and pulled their instruments back and forth like rowers (perhaps they’d all just come from a screening of The Odyssey) was an unexpected delight, occupying that sublime space between brilliant and silly (brilly, if you will). It was the kind of absurd cross-pollination Super Bowl audiences were used to during halftime shows of the 20th century, back when Ella Fitzgerald and Carol Channing shared a bill (1972) or James Brown joined the Blues Brothers (1997).
Similarly, how about Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard hitting the field to bring out Justin Bieber? It’s hard to imagine a modern Super Bowl halftime taking a breather for a chill comedic interlude — one that worked because it didn’t try too hard. (Yes, Kendrick Lamar did have Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam in 2025, but Sam and Sudeikis give very different energy, to say the least.)
As for Bieber, if the NFL got one of the world’s biggest pop stars, it’s difficult to imagine them letting him do a somber acoustic performance of “Everything Hallelujah” while casually strolling around the field, then walk off without singing a hint of any of his Billboard chart smashes. JB’s quiet moment helped give the World Cup halftime a flavor of its own too.
As with the Dudamel-and-Muppets opener, the finale felt more 20th century Super Bowl than 21st century Super Bowl. Staten Island’s PS22 Chorus, Emmanuel Kelly, Coldplay and the Muppets debuted a brand-new Coldplay song, “We Dance,” written specifically for the occasion. It was all about love, peace, bright colors and global togetherness. Puppets and children providing a big, mushy finale is entirely conceivable for a halftime show from the ‘80s – less so these days. And that’s refreshing.
I’m not saying the NFL needs to turn back the clock to the low-stakes, schlocky halftime shows of 50 years ago. Most of us would rather watch Bad Bunny than “Elvis Presto,” the magic trick-pulling Elvis impersonator who performed at the 1989 Super Bowl. But it’s fun to watch a halftime show and have no clue what could possibly happen next. Muppets and the New York Philharmonic rocking out? There’s something inviting about a spectacle that isn’t afraid to get silly.
So, the TL;DR final verdict: The FIFA World Cup Halftime Show felt markedly different from modern Super Bowl Halftime Shows – but a lot like an amalgamation of Super Bowls over the decades. And if there’s one lesson for the Super Bowl after watching this, it’s simple: more Muppets.
What was the last song performed during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Halftime Show? It was the live premiere of “We Dance,” an original song penned by Coldplay for the mid-game, 11-minute live music medley during the Spain vs. Argentina match that also featured performances from Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira with Burna Boy and more.
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The World Cup field at New York New Jersey Stadium (otherwise known as MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, N.J., was abuzz with energy by the final number of Sunday’s (July 19) halftime show, and filled with quite a sweeping ensemble of performers.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin, curator of the first-ever World Cup halftime event, led his band’s new tune “We Dance” surrounded by children — the PS22 Chorus — and with special appearances from The Muppets (who’d also popped in earlier, during a symphony performance of “Seven Nation Army”) and Emmanuel Kelly. Shakira, who’d just sang the official World Cup song “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy, also joined in on the fun, as did her fellow halftime show headliners.
Large screen displays encouraged the audience to visit believeinlove.org, a new initiative launched by Global Citizen today to inspire people all over the world to participate in small acts of love to help “defeat poverty and defend the planet.”
Officially titled the FIFA World Cup 2026 Topps Final Halftime Show, the game’s halftime entertainment featured more than 350 performers all together. The music event was created as part of a partnership between FIFA and Global Citizen, produced by Global Citizen with Live Nation and Done + Dusted, and aimed to improve access to football and education for children through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The fund has to date surpassed $60 million raised for children’s education worldwide.
Watch the full 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Halftime show, uploaded to YouTube by FOX after the network broadcast the performances, below.
BTS brought their explosive energy to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show on Sunday (July 19) for a dynamic performance of their 2020 smash hit “Dynamite.”
As the second halftime headliners at New York New Jersey Stadium (the rebranded MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey), BTS hit the pitch wearing coordinated red, white and black outfits. It wasn’t announced ahead of time what the South Korean septet would perform, and they went with their very first Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Dynamite,” which spent three weeks at No. 1 in 2020; it made sense to go with their first U.S. No. 1 as they performed on a global stage in the American stadium.
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BTS hit the field after Madonna and were followed by Justin Bieber and then finally Shakira (featuring Burna Boy) for their Global 200-topping 2026 World Cup anthem “Dai Dai.” All four headliners returned to the field for “We Dance,” an original song written by Coldplay for the show and performed by the Chris Martin-led band with New York’s PS22 Chorus and the Muppets.
Produced by Global Citizen and curated by Martin, the halftime show also included conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Bijan Mortazavi and Emmanuel Kelly, as well as surprise appearances by soccer superstars Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard.
“We set out with a bold ambition: to bring together the world’s greatest artists for what would be the most-watched halftime show in history,” said Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of Global Citizen. “I hope audiences around the world were massively entertained and inspired, and I hope they felt the message of unity and love at its core. Above all else, I hope millions of kids around the world receive access to education for years to come. I look forward to meeting a young person years from now whose life was transformed because the world came together to invest in the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.”
As of Sunday, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund has surpassed $60 million raised for children’s education worldwide.
BTS are currently on their ARIRANG World Tour, which resumes next month at the very stadium they played Sunday night, Aug. 1 and 2 at MetLife Stadium.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final halftime show did exactly what FIFA hoped and exactly what soccer purists feared: It turned the most sacred match in the sport into an 11-and-a-half-minute pop fever dream.
Staged Sunday (July 19) at New York New Jersey Stadium (the rebranded MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey) during the Spain-Argentina final, the first-ever halftime spectacle in the championship match moved with the logic of a playlist on shuffle and the pace of a caffeine rush, squeezing Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, a children’s chorus, the Muppets, Coldplay’s Chris Martiin, and a sky full of colorful fireworks into a blink-and-you-missed-it production that still somehow felt gigantic. If the challenge was making every second count, the show’s greatest success was understanding that subtlety had no place here.
Madonna kicked things off in gloriously extra fashion, rolling in with DJ Stuart Price behind her while Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho appeared in a jeep with a license plate that read “Maestro,” because of course they did. From there, the show lurched — thrillingly, and at times hilariously — into Gustavo Dudamel leading players from the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela through a dramatic take on The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” complete with flags, strings, color and Muppets in the mix.
BTS followed in matching red, motorcycle-inspired looks for a turbocharged “Dynamite,” before Jason Sudeikis, slipping back into Ted Lasso mode, introduced a notably subdued Justin Bieber for an acoustic “Everything Hallelujah.”
Then came the halftime show’s most natural stadium-pop peak: Shakira and Burna Boy tearing into the Billboard Global 200 chart-topper “Dai Dai,” backed by Ghetto Kids dancing. By the time the PS22 Chorus, Chris Martin, Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the cast closed on a giant “LOVE” tableau with fireworks overhead, the whole thing felt slightly unhinged, deeply overstuffed and undeniably memorable.
Here are the biggest highlights from each performance.