Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS and Madonna will not be paid for World Cup final half time show
Much like at the Super Bowl, the headliners at the World Cup final halftime show will not be paid for their performances - but for a different reason.
Justin Bieber, Shakira, Madonna, Burna Boy, and BTS are among the huge names performing in the 11-minute show in front of tens of thousands of fans at the MetLife Stadium, as well as being broadcast to millions around the world.
The final is scheduled for 19 July, with the halftime show being the first such performance to happen at a FIFA World Cup, being curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin.
A halftime show echoes the Super Bowl, bringing a US flavour to Argentina and Spain's match in what has been an exciting and at times controversial tournament.
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But despite the enormous international attention that the halftime show will bring, its headliners will not themselves receive a fee for their performances.
At the Super Bowl, the primetime slot in one of the world's biggest sporting events and subsequent boost to the headliners' music sales is considered payment enough.
Things are a little different at the World Cup. FIFA has confirmed that the headliners will be supporting the Global Citizen Education Fund, raising $100 million for the organisation instead of performance fees.
FIFA's president Gianni Infantino has said that the halftime show will combine 'music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.'
Speaking to the Global Citizen NOW conference in New York on Thursday, Infantino added: "When you have a position of responsibility, you want to do everything you can to have a real impact.
"Not everyone can become a world champion, but everyone can become a little bit better by having the right education. So we embrace that."
The artists have also expressed their support for the cause, with a statement from Bieber 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.”
Meanwhile, Burna Boy said in a statement: “The FIFA World Cup is one of the few moments that truly brings the entire world together.
“To represent Africa on the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show is a privilege and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly.”
It's not just humans who are taking to the stage for the halftime performance either.
Other members of the cast reportedly participating in the show include iconic characters from The Muppets, including Sesame Street cast Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
Football events don't typically feature a show during halftime, as fans scramble for the toilet, bar, or food stalls so they don't have to miss a single second of the game itself.
Other events such as the Champions League final instead feature a show before the game kicks off.
In fact, FIFA may even have broken its own rules by choosing to stage a show at halftime.
While the show itself is scheduled to be 11 minutes long, there will be additional time required to set up and break down the stage after the performance.
This means that, accounting for that, the halftime break is expected to be a full half hour long, and that's not even including the hydration breaks.
Under the Laws of the game, technically only 15 minutes is allowed.
Topics: World Cup, Money, Justin Bieber, Madonna
Kit Roberts