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Madonna, Shakira, BTS to Headline First World Cup Final Half-time Show

Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
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Madonna, Shakira, BTS to Headline First World Cup Final Half-time Show

Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
Colombian singer Shakira will headline the first World Cup Final half-time show along with Madonna and K-Pop giants BTS. Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP

Madonna, Shakira and K-pop megastars BTS will headline a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA said Thursday.

Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the show, which is a first for a football World Cup final but has raised concerns about how long half-time will be.

The biggest-ever World Cup, with 48 teams, kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, said AFP.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced in March last year that there would be "the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final".

He did not say at the time who would be performing or how long the show would last.

"This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world," he said on Instagram.

The move mirrors the show held during the final of the 2024 Copa America in Miami, when Colombian star Shakira performed at half-time at the Hard Rock Stadium.

There was also a half-time show at last year's FIFA Club World Cup final, also at MetLife Stadium, which stretched the break in excess of the regulation 15 minutes.

Infantino added that FIFA also planned to "take over" New York's Times Square on the final weekend of the World Cup.

The half-time extravaganza will support FIFA's Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative working to raise $100 million for children worldwide during the World Cup.

Shakira last week teased the new official song for the World Cup, releasing a brief video of the track filmed at Brazil's iconic Maracana Stadium.

The singer -- who also created the 2010 World Cup anthem "Waka Waka" -- announced the song, titled "Dai Dai" in a post on her Instagram account.

In the 67-second video, Shakira appears on the pitch at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, where she performed in a free concert at the city's Copacabana Beach before two million people.

Holding the "Trionda", the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, Shakira performed excerpts of the song in English, joined by dancers dressed in the colors of teams including the United States and Colombia.

The song was produced with Nigerian artist Burna Boy and is set for official release on Thursday. The clip, also shared by the FIFA World Cup account, ends with the message: "We're ready!"

Shakira has a long association with the World Cup, performing at the 2006 and 2014 World Cup finals in addition to producing "Waka Waka" for the 2010 tournament.

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Entertainment

Re-Released ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Snaps-up N. America Box Office Lead

This image released by Marvel Studios shows a scene from "Avengers: Endgame." (Marvel Studios/Disney via AP)
This image released by Marvel Studios shows a scene from "Avengers: Endgame." (Marvel Studios/Disney via AP)
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Re-Released ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Snaps-up N. America Box Office Lead

This image released by Marvel Studios shows a scene from "Avengers: Endgame." (Marvel Studios/Disney via AP)
This image released by Marvel Studios shows a scene from "Avengers: Endgame." (Marvel Studios/Disney via AP)

"Avengers: Endgame" dusted competitors in the North American weekend box office, as the 2019 superhero film was re-released in a bid to drum up support for the franchise.

The film holds the title of the second-highest grossing film ever, after earning $2.8 billion, driven by an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin and Scarlett Johansson.

Over the weekend, the encore presentation of the Walt Disney film took in $26 million in North America, for a global total of $86 million, according to estimates by Exhibitor Relations, a tracking firm.

The re-release comes ahead of the planned December 18 debut of "Avenger: Doomsday," with audiences eager to see four new post-credit scenes setting up the forthcoming film.

"As a marketing exercise, it's an effective way to build early word-of-mouth," said veteran industry watcher David A. Gross.

Taking second place was Sony's "Resident Evil," with an estimated $23.3 million in North America, for a global total over its first two weeks of over $196 million.

"Heart of the Beast," starring Brad Pitt as a former soldier and his loyal but traumatized combat dog as they survive in the Alaskan wilderness, brought in an estimated $20 million on the continent for Paramount on its opening weekend.

Also debuting over the weekend was "Primetime," starring Robert Pattinson as reality TV host Chris Hansen. The film is based on a real-life US show from the mid-2000s called "To Catch a Predator" in which Hansen and his production staff lured would-be pedophiles into sting operations where police were waiting to make on-screen arrests.

The film brought in an estimated $19.2 million for A24 over the weekend.

"Forgotten Island" an animated family film, however, underperformed over the weekend, bringing in just $12.8 million for Universal on its opening weekend.

"This is a weak opening for an original animation film from one of the major labels," Gross said, while noting that reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

Entertainment

MTV VMAs Are Here with Taylor Swift Making History, Madonna Leading the Nods

Madonna appears at an awards ceremony on May 4, 2019, in New York. (AP)
Madonna appears at an awards ceremony on May 4, 2019, in New York. (AP)
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MTV VMAs Are Here with Taylor Swift Making History, Madonna Leading the Nods

Madonna appears at an awards ceremony on May 4, 2019, in New York. (AP)
Madonna appears at an awards ceremony on May 4, 2019, in New York. (AP)

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards are here and Swifties, it looks like the night is already yours.

Earlier this week it was announced that Taylor Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors, becoming the most awarded artist in VMA history.

Swift is currently tied with Beyoncé for the title of most-awarded musician in VMA history. They have 30 each. Eminem is the male artist with the most VMAs with 15. The new award, which according to the VMAs is meant to recognize artists “whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling,” will bring her total to 31.

She will also debut the music video for her new song, “Patient Zero,” during the award show. Swift directed the visual, which stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson.

“Patient Zero” is also her first single since marrying Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in July.

Snoop Dogg, a 13-time VMAs nominee and three-time winner, will host. Snoop made his debut on the VMAs stage in 1994. He closed the show in 1999 with Dr. Dre and Eminem and returned for a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. and again for a performance with Eminem in 2022.

Madonna leads the 2026 MTV Video Music Award nominations. The pop superstar has been nominated in every decade of her musical career. She has 19 competitive MTV VMA wins and in 1986 became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award.

She is up for 11 awards at this year’s ceremony, including video, artist and song of the year, as well as best collaboration, dance, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

Taylor Swift follows with the second-most nominations with nine. She is up for video and artist of the year as well as best pop, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

Madonna and Swift are followed by Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter with seven nods each to their names, as well as Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with five. Blackpink’s LISA has four and Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION and Yung Lean are tied for three.

Madonna will open the show. It will mark her first performance at the VMAs in 23 years.

Kacey Musgraves will pay homage to the late, great Dolly Parton. The country music icon, whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes defined her rise from a log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the height of stardom and acclaim, died in Nashville of cancer in August. She was 80.

Raye, Sombr and Teddy Swims will pay tribute to George Michael, who died 10 years ago on Christmas Day. He was 53.

It's double duty for Raye, who also will perform solo.

Other performers include GENER8ION with Yung Lean, Shaboozey with Gunna, as well as Lisa and Sienna Spiro.

Alex Warren, Belmont Cameli, Charli xcx, Ciara Miller, David Corenswet, Ella Bright, Isabel May, Jeff Probst, Rachel Dratch, Teyana Taylor, Tyla and Troye Sivan will present.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift Releases 'Encore' to her Hit 'Showgirl' Album

Taylor Swift attends a premiere for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Los Angeles, California, US, October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
Taylor Swift attends a premiere for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Los Angeles, California, US, October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
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Taylor Swift Releases 'Encore' to her Hit 'Showgirl' Album

Taylor Swift attends a premiere for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Los Angeles, California, US, October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
Taylor Swift attends a premiere for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Los Angeles, California, US, October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

Pop music superstar Taylor Swift released four new songs that she added to her 2025 hit album "The Life of a Showgirl" including the single "Patient Zero" about a toxic relationship.

The expanded album called "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore" debuted at midnight US Eastern Daylight Time (0400 GMT) on Friday.

A music video for "Patient Zero" is set to debut on ⁠Sunday during MTV's Video ⁠Music Awards, where Swift will be honored with the inaugural artist director trophy.

Actors Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson play roles in the video. "If you're sick of him, I've got you. I ⁠was patient zero," Swift sings in the track.

Other new songs included "Cleveland!," a reference to the hometown of Swift's husband, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. "My baby likes what he likes," she sings. "He already took me to Cleveland."

The pair married in July after a three-year romance.

"Showgirl" broke several records when it was released in October ⁠2025. ⁠It became the first album in history in which each of its 12 songs landed in the Billboard top 12 simultaneously.

Its first week set a sales record for the modern music era, based on album sales and streams.

Swift said she wrote the new tracks when she went to Sweden to celebrate the success of "Showgirl" with producers Max Martin and Shellback.