BTS Perform 'Dynamite' at the First Halftime Show of a World Cup Final

What happened

BTS performed ‘Dynamite’ at the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Star News reported that the seven of them appeared as co-headliners alongside Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.

Jung Kook and V opened the performance, and Suga, RM, j-hope, Jin and Jimin came out in turn. The members wore outfits carrying a Red Devils patch, and The Korea Herald wrote that the red, black and white attire honoured Korea’s Red Devils supporters. The same article reported that the song was their 2020 Billboard chart-topper, adapted for the occasion with soccer-themed changes to the lyrics.

When and where

The stage was set at halftime of the final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday 19 July 2026, which was 20 July in Korea.

Financial News wrote that the show ran to just under 12 minutes, not counting the time to build and clear the stage.

Why it matters

No World Cup final had carried a halftime show before. Star News wrote that this was the first performance staged during play in the tournament’s history, and Financial News reported that FIFA mounted it as a first attempt to reproduce the cultural success of the Super Bowl halftime show.

For BTS it was the first World Cup stage since Jung Kook stood alone at the 2022 Qatar opening ceremony four years earlier. Financial News wrote that this time the group took the stage as a full group.

What you need to know

• The running order went like this. Financial News reported that Madonna opened with her 2000 song ‘Music’ and appeared with the Brazilian footballers Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, and that BTS followed with ‘Dynamite’. Justin Bieber was introduced by the actor Jason Sudeikis and sang ‘Everything Hallelujah’; Shakira then performed the official theme ‘Dai Dai’ with Burna Boy. The show closed with the PS22 Chorus of Staten Island singing ‘We Believe’, joined by Chris Martin and the Muppets.
• Who made it. Financial News reported that Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin handled the artist selection and creative direction and that Global Citizen took part in the production. The programme was also built to draw attention to a charitable fund for widening children’s access to education.
• The scale of the stage. Financial News wrote that BTS performed on the pitch with a crew of more than 24 backing dancers.
• What BTS said afterwards. They told Star News that it was a great honour to stand on a stage the whole world shares, and told The Korea Herald that it was an honour to perform at the first-ever halftime show at a World Cup final and that the tournament was something they had enjoyed watching since they were young. In the same article they credited their global fanbase for making the appearance possible.