The 2026 FIFA World Cup final was held in the United States on 19 July, with Spain defeating Argentina to claim the title.

For K-pop fans, however, the event carried extra significance: Korean artists accompanied the tournament from kickoff to closing whistle for the very first time.

EJAE, who starred as Rumi in the film «KPop Demon Hunters», performed the World Cup theme song at the opening ceremony in Mexico City on 11 June. BLACKPINK’s Lisa took the stage at the tournament’s launch in Los Angeles. And BTS closed out the global showpiece with a performance during the final match, watched by millions around the world.

A full-scale musical extravaganza unfolded during the halftime break. Madonna kicked things off with her hit «Music». The pop icon rode onto the stadium pitch in a buggy, belting out the chorus: «Music makes the people come together». Behind the wheel were none other than Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel then led an orchestra in a rendition of the White Stripes’ «Seven Nation Army» – a track widely regarded as an unofficial football anthem.

Next came beloved puppets from the children’s TV show «Sesame Street», who mimed playing guitars and drums in a playful interlude.

Immediately after, BTS emerged in red, black and white suits, much to the delight of ARMYs worldwide. The group delivered a rousing performance of their chart-topping hit «Dynamite».

The band had travelled to the US straight from a show in Paris the previous day as part of their «Arirang» world tour, with no rest in between. The lyrics were slightly tweaked to fit the football and World Cup theme.

Watch the performance on YouTube here.

As soon as BTS stepped on stage, the crowd erupted in deafening cheers and applause.

Major local entertainment outlets covered the BTS halftime show as breaking news. US music magazine Billboard and Variety both praised the group’s performance, highlighting their choice of a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song and the explosive energy they brought to the audience.

Rolling Stone also noted that BTS took the stage despite having been in the US for less than 24 hours, visibly tired and hardly adjusted to the time zone.

For BTS, the appearance carried special weight – it marked their first full-group return to a World Cup stage in four years. At the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar, only Jungkook had performed.

After BTS, Justin Bieber took over, playing guitar and performing his last year’s release «Everything Hallelujah».

Shakira and rapper Burna Boy then delivered «Dai Dai», the official tournament anthem, joined by Ugandan dancers in traditional attire.

The show closed with a video tribute to the great Pelé.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino called it the biggest halftime show in the world. The performance was organised in support of the FIFA Global Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to expand educational and football opportunities for children worldwide.

Source 1, 2