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Like much of the country, I had the 2026 World Cup final on last night. In all honesty, not because I’m such a die-hard soccer fan, but because I was wildly curious about the very first halftime show. Among those performing were Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. Quite a lineup!
But what I immediately wondered while watching: How much money did FIFA have to pay for this? I have the very unexpected answer for you.
Apparently, for the World Cup, a similar deal has been agreed to as with the Super Bowl halftime show, where Bad Bunny most recently stole the show. In other words: FIFA pays the production and logistics costs for the artists, but they don’t get an extra appearance fee for it. According to Marca, the payment they receive is mainly in exposure, since streams go up and tickets for any shows sell out faster.
Justin confirmed as much in a statement ahead of his performance, saying, “The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can. I’m grateful to be part of this Halftime Show, and even more grateful knowing it’s already helping expand access to education for children around the world.”
This year’s halftime show supports the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is working toward raising $100 million to expand educational opportunities and soccer programs for children in need.
The ones who do go home with a bag of money are, of course, the footballers. Fortune reports that the winners of the World Cup, Team Spain, earn $51 million. The Argentine team isn’t doing badly financially, either—with their second place, they get $34 million. Not too shabby!
