FIFA has confirmed the 2026 World Cup final halftime break will last 17 minutes. It includes an 11-minute performance featuring Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS. This marks the first-ever halftime show at a men's World Cup final.
The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Super Bowl halftime show is the most valuable advertising slot in sports. The World Cup final typically draws over a billion viewers globally, dwarfing that audience.
Historically, crypto firms have targeted marquee sports events for marketing. Coinbase, Crypto.com, and FTX previously spent heavily on Super Bowl ads and arena naming rights. FIFA itself launched an NFT platform on the Algorand blockchain for the 2022 World Cup.
The new 17-minute format is a compressed version of the Super Bowl's 30-minute break. It creates a new, high-value piece of advertising inventory. The performer lineup also includes Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, and elements of Coldplay.