BTS perform during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Fresh off the European leg of the World Tour ARIRANG concerts, BTS came prepared to perform at the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show in a championship match between Spain and Argentina. This is the first time a World Cup has ever had a Halftime Show in its 96-year history.
Curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and produced with Global Citizen, BTS performed alongside Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, The Muppets’ Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic, Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, and PS22. The performance was scheduled for 11 minutes but was given a slightly longer time, breaking FIFA’s tradition of the usual 15-minute halftime break to 30 minutes.
In their 1:45 performance, BTS members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook performed their hit song, “Dynamite.” Dressed in their custom ARIRANG-red World Cup outfits, which proudly displayed their names and No. 7, a significant number representing the seven members. It’s quite impressive to watch them wear their gear because the weather was 83’F (28’C) and humid. Despite just getting off the plane the night prior from Paris, the group performed with full energy.
BTS performed their hit song “Dynamite,” which was their first No. 1 on the Hot 100 and an all-time record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the sales charts. It was also the first track that landed the group their first Grammy nomination in 2020. Surrounded by over two dozen dancers, the screens around them displayed the lyrics, as part of the crowd sang with them. After the final performance by PS22, BTS joined the rest of the artists on the field, dancing to Coldplay’s unreleased new track.
BTS has long ties with football/soccer – as fans and as participants in FIFA-based events. In 2022, the group collaborated with Hyundai to release a special “Goal of the Century” campaign song and music video for the tournament in Qatar. Jung Kook became the first South Korean artist to perform for the World Cup events, performing the official track “Dreamers” at the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar.
Now, BTS makes history again with this all-star performance at the first-ever World Cup Final Halftime Show. The group is set to perform the North American leg of their World Tour ARIRANG at the same stadium – MetLife Stadium – in East Rutherford on August 1 and 2.