How much will Shakira, Madonna and BTS really earn for FIFA World Cup final half-time show

The FIFA World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will feature something the tournament has never seen before: a half-time show. Madonna, Shakira and South Korean boyband BTS will headline the performance, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and produced by Global Citizen. None of the three acts will be paid. Sources confirmed to The Athletic that all three are donating their time, with proceeds supporting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund's goal of raising $100 million for children's education worldwide.Zero. Not a single dollar. And that's not unusual in the world of major live events. According to sources connected to Global Citizen, the organization producing the show alongside Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Shakira, Madonna and BTS are donating their time for the event.Just as the NFL's Super Bowl half-time performers receive no fee, FIFA's World Cup acts are following the same model. Bad Bunny performed at this year's Super Bowl in February without a paycheck. Kendrick Lamar did the same in 2025. The logic is simple: the exposure is worth more than any fee. This year's Super Bowl drew 125.6 million domestic viewers. The 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France had a global reach of 1.42 billion. That's the number these artists are really playing for.Shakira, whose new World Cup anthem Dai Dai drops Thursday featuring Burna Boy, is no stranger to this stage. She performed Waka Waka at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Madonna, at 67, is weeks away from releasing her 15th studio album, Confessions II, on July 3. BTS, mid-way through an 85-date world tour, are making their full comeback after completing mandatory military service in South Korea.FIFA is making a significant adjustment to football tradition to accommodate the production. The halftime show itself is expected to run for 11 minutes, but staging requirements could push the overall interval beyond the standard 15-minute limit written into the laws of the game.The idea is not entirely new for FIFA. Last year’s Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly featured a halftime interval lasting more than 24 minutes. Still, bringing that concept to the World Cup final marks a major shift for the sport’s showcase event.Gianni Infantino called the show “a historic moment for the Fifa World Cup, befitting the biggest sporting event in the world”. FIFA also confirmed the performance will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for children’s education projects worldwide.The challenge now is balancing entertainment ambition with football tradition. FIFA clearly believes the gamble is worth it.