Pop icon Justin Bieber has officially joined the performance lineup for the inaugural World Cup final halftime show. Organizers confirmed the musical portion of the event will span exactly 11 minutes. Bieber will perform alongside Madonna, Shakira, and BTS at the July 19 event hosted at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Chris Martin of Coldplay is overseeing the production, which aims to mirror the scale of a Super Bowl halftime show. This inclusion has sparked discussions regarding the duration of the match’s halftime break, which is mandated by football regulations to stay under 15 minutes. While there were earlier fears of a 25-minute delay, the 11-minute runtime helps alleviate concerns about the impact on player recovery.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expects the event to draw a global audience of billions. The performance, which also features Muppet characters, serves as a benefit for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, a project targeting $100 million in aid for global child education. Bieber expressed his enthusiasm for participating in the charitable effort.
Additional performers announced include Burna Boy and conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Furthermore, Coldplay will team up with the PS22 Chorus, a choir from a local New York public school. Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, described the event as a monumental gathering for a cause, potentially setting records for viewership.