Madonna to Shakira: How much the World Cup half-time show acts were paid for their performances

Following the new addition of a World Cup final half-time show this year, you might be wondering how much the acts who performed were paid for doing so.

At the midpoint of the Spain v Argentina game yesterday, the pitch was quickly transformed into a stage. As the players left, acts such as Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira took to the pitch to perform. The whole thing was met with *a lot* of opinion, with Wayne Rooney calling the whole thing “crap” during the BBC’s coverage.

Gabby Logan asked him for his highlights of the star-studded half-time show, and Wayne replied: “I’ll be honest, mine was when it finished. I like a lot of them artists but I thought it was crap.” Honestly, no lies were told.

via CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF/EPA/Shutterstock

So, how much were the World Cup half-time acts paid?

Most Read

The names, ages and nationalities of all 32 Costa Concordia victims, and how they died

All the Love Island 2026 cast members who spent an absolute fortune on surgery before the show

‘I was freaking out’: What the youngest people to sleep with Bonnie Blue said of the experience

It turns out, nobody who appeared during the set was paid. Not a penny. According to the Athletic, sources confirmed the acts donated their time to social justice organisation Global Citizen, instead of being paid.

The initiative is joint between FIFA and Global Citizen, and is aimed at improving access to quality education worldwide. It has set a goal of raising $100million to expand access to education and football for children around the world.

Speaking when announcing the decision to have a half-time show, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “As the world comes together for the biggest match in football, this historic show will also shine a light on a greater purpose by supporting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and our shared mission to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide. It will be a celebration of football, unity and shared humanity that will resonate far beyond the final whistle.”

A statement from Justin Bieber added: “The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can. I’m grateful to be part of this half-time show, and even more grateful knowing it’s already helping expand access to education for children around the world.”

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook. Featured image (before edits) via Jess Stiles/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock.