Some of the World Cup final performers received a special surprise ahead of Sunday’s showstopper.
Argentina and Spain will clash for World Cup glory in the finale of the largest tournament in its history at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.
However, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal and their star-studded teammates will be forced to share the stage with some other big names.
The likes of Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber will bring some extra star power to the soccer extravaganza with the tournament’s first ever halftime show as the sport gets the Super Bowl treatment.
And joining the cast of A-list performers will be the Ghetto Kids, a dance troupe aged four to 16 from Uganda.
The dancers will join Shakira onstage and perform alongside the Colombian songstress during her rendition of Dai Dai – the official FIFA anthem of the 2026 World Cup.
The Ghetto Kids, a Ugandan dance group, were gifted free World Cup final tickets
The dance troupe is set to perform with Shakira during the halftime show on Sunday
And, once their own performance is over, the young stars will be able to enjoy the on-field action – no thanks to FIFA.
The Ghetto Kids were gifted free tickets to today’s final by MD Motivator on behalf of Marriott Bonvoy on Friday.
Before receiving the tickets, the children would have had to leave the stadium immediately after their performance with Shakira and miss out on the second half of the clash between Spain and the defending champions.
The gift is part of Marriott Bonvoy’s ‘For Fans, Everywhere’ campaign. The hotel chain is also the official sponsor of the halftime show.
The Ghetto Kids started off by filming dance videos on the streets of Uganda’s capital and will now make their biggest live appearance to date on the World Cup stage.
The Ghetto Kids first gained prominence in 2014 when they danced in the music video to Eddy Kenzo’s song ‘Sitya Loss’ and received further attention after appearing in the reality show Britain’s Got Talent in 2023.
They even boast more than 9 million followers on Instagram and 13 million on TikTok.
As well as a halftime show, the World Cup final will also include a closing ceremony that will feature performances and appearances from Post Malone , Tom Cruise , Nicole Scherzinger , influencer IShowSpeed, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson , Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini.
The Ghetto Kids started off by filming dance videos on the streets of Uganda’s capital
Justin Bieber is among the music superstars performing during the halftime show on Sunday
Madonna is also among the headliners for the controversial show at MetLife Stadium
Cruise’s specific role is unclear, with FIFA describing it only as a ‘special appearance.’ But soccer chiefs say the ceremony s will pay tribute to all 48 nations from the tournament.
FIFA enlisted the help of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to curate the show and back in May it emerged that Madonna, Shakira and K-pop band BTS would perform.
Bieber was recently added to the lineup, while Burna Boy will join Shakira on stage and Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel is also down to perform.
Coldplay will have their moment in the spotlight, too. Martin and Co will perform alongside the PS22 Chorus, an award-winning group of fifth graders from an elementary school in New York. Also among the lineup? Characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets.
‘For the first time ever, football, music and social impact will come together as the greatest show on Earth reaches its pinnacle,’ FIFA said.
‘[The] Halftime Show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aiming to raise $100million to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide.’
