Coldplay’s Chris Martin to help FIFA plan World Cup final half-time show

Coldplay’s Chris Martin and the band’s manager Phil Harvey will be involved in helping FIFA plan the line-up for the first ever World Cup final half-time show next year.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, confirmed the duo’s role in the Super Bowl-style event in a post on Instagram.

The 2026 final will be played at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.

Infantino said Martin and Harvey would be “working with (FIFA) to finalise the list of artists who will perform during the half-time show”.

Infantino did not confirm how long FIFA intended the show to last, but the Super Bowl’s is generally between 25 and 30 minutes.

“This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world,” he wrote.

Infantino also said there would be a “takeover” of Times Square in New York City over the weekend of the final.

The finals are being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The three countries are currently involved in a trade war, sparked by the imposition of tariffs by US president Donald Trump.

The US anthem has been booed at recent sporting events by Canadian fans in response to that, and following his regular calls for Canada to become the US’ 51st state.