By Basab Dasgupta
I am anxiously looking forward to the final game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. No, I am not really a big fan of soccer (or Futbol). Furthermore, neither my mother country, India, nor my adopted country, the US, are going to be contenders in the final.
India did not even qualify for the World Cup, winning only one of six matches in the qualifying rounds. The US received an automatic entry because they are one of the host nations but could not reach the quarter-finals despite their initial successes in group games.
Soccer is not as exciting a game to me as cricket, basketball, or American football because one must wait for a long time for any score, if it happens at all. Yes, it can be fascinating to see some players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi occasionally controlling the ball like a magician and some spectacular free kick or penalty kick. However, one could watch those as video clips after the fact, instead of waiting 90+ minutes.
The reason for my interest is the halftime show during the final game, and this will be the first time in FIFA history that such a show has been planned.
Furthermore, the show will be produced by Global Citizen with the noble goal of raising $100 million for educational and football opportunities for kids worldwide.
In the US, we are familiar with similar shows during the halftime of the Super Bowl of American football every year, but I do not know if the FIFA halftime show will follow a similar format in terms of duration, space of the stadium allocated for the performance, and associated acrobatics or fireworks.
Considering an expected worldwide fan base of more than 1.6 billion watching the final, the anticipation of something grandiose and spectacular gives me goosebumps.
My real excitement lies in the choice of two global pop icons as performers: Madonna and Shakira. I have been a huge fan of both for a very long time. BTS, the South Korean K-pop group, has also been named as co-performers, and there were rumors that Justin Bieber might also take the stage. Chris Martin of the rock group “Coldplay” will reportedly be the curator of the program.
My interest in American pop music literally started and evolved in synchronization with Madonna’s career progression, from her debut album “Madonna” in 1983.
It is such a thrill and comfort to know that she is still around making new music and performing live, not only singing but dancing as well and collaborating with someone twenty years younger.
She surprised and impressed me with her “Madame X” global tour at age 65, and this will go one step further. I not only enjoy her performances but get inspiration from her activities even at my old age. She is not only creative in everything she does (including her romantic life), but reinvents herself every few years.
Her latest songs, released just weeks ago, are climbing up the pop music charts across the globe, including “I feel so free”, “Love Sensation” and the duet “Bring your love" with Sabrina Carpenter.
Madonna is great at live performances. I have watched the clip of her Super Bowl 2012 halftime show multiple times. Her majestic entrance, emulating the entrance of Queen Cleopatra in Rome, remains the best entrance in any Super Bowl halftime in my opinion.
She loves grandeur, glamor, eccentricity, and attention. My other favorites of her live performances include “La Isla Bonita” with the group “Gogol Bordello” at the 2007 Live Earth concert, “Vogue” at the 1990 MTV award show, and “Future Lovers/I feel love” from her Confessions tour. Since this is a first-ever FIFA halftime show, I have great anticipation about the ideas Madonna comes up with.
Shakira, on the other hand, has become almost synonymous with FIFA music. I love the symbolism of displaying Madonna as the queen of North American pop and Shakira as the queen of South America. Shakira’s mother is Colombian, and her father is Lebanese.
Shakira got worldwide attention from her “Waka, waka, this time for Africa,” which became an anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with more than 4 billion views on YouTube thus far. She also mesmerized Gerard Piqué, a star soccer player from Spain, with her performance, which led to an 11-year-long relationship and two beautiful sons.
Shakira was called for an encore four years later and did not disappoint. She composed another blockbuster hit, “La La La,” which has received more than a billion hits on YouTube. Shakira’s 2020 halftime show with Jennifer Lopez remains the Super Bowl show with the most hits on YouTube (340 million).
Shakira has already released the “official music video” of the 2026 World Cup together with Burna Boy, titled “Dai Dai”, and it has got more than 400 million hits on YouTube. A live performance of the same song during the opening ceremony has been viewed by 50 million people; I am sure that this song will be prominently featured in the final halftime show as well.
Since Shakira can sing in both English and Spanish with equal ease, I am sure that there will be plenty to enjoy for both the Spanish-speaking audience from South and Central America and the English-speaking audience from all over the world. It would be interesting to see how the program is divided between Shakira and Madonna, between English and Spanish songs, and how much acrobatic dance moves are incorporated in the routine.
While Shakira has a sensational figure which she is not hesitant to display in her moves, I would be curious to see how Madonna keeps up with her, at age 68. Madonna’s music video “Medellin” with another Colombian (male) singer, Maluma, has already set a precedent for a bilingual bicultural masterpiece.
I wonder if the show will include a performance like “Beautiful Liar” (by Shakira and Beyonce) featuring Middle Eastern tunes (since Shakira's father is Lebanese) and synchronized dance moves.
I hope that this collaboration will lead to more joint creations between the two superstars. It is not clear how BTS will fit into the program; they were presumably included to give the program a true global flavor and also to appeal to the younger audience. This might be another reason to be in suspense about this show.
It seems that the FIFA World Cup tournament is gradually becoming just as much about music as it is about the game. FIFA has released a full album with 18 tracks featuring international artists and songs all with a World Cup vibe.
I was especially delighted by the music video “Siir Siir” by the Bollywood star Nora Fatehi in collaboration with Bangladeshi singer Sanjoy and Vegedream, which they performed live during the Canadian opening ceremony in Toronto.
Just like the 2022 World Cup, Nora has reminded everyone about India’s presence in their heart even though India will not be there playing on the field.
(California-based Basab Dasgupta has a doctorate in Physics from the University of Wisconsin and has worked with Sony as Vice President of an operating division.)
