NEWS
Coldplay, Doja Cat, J Balvin, and Tems headlined the FIFA Club World Cup final halftime show last night (July 13) – watch footage of the performance below.
Sunday’s final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain saw a surprise performance from Coldplay on the MetLife Stadium’s upper stands, on a stage crafted by frontman Chris Martin and Global Citizen.
Placing the stage in the stands was done to avoid damaging the freshly planted grass on the field, and also had the benefit of avoiding the timing changeover issues that made Shakira’s 2024 performance at the Copa America final so divisive.
The 15-minute set opened with J Balvin’s ‘Mi Gente’, which saw him joined by dancers and drummers, and was followed by Tems’ ‘Love Me JeJe’ before Balvin returned to deliver ‘Reggaeton’.
Doja Cat then performed 2021 track ‘Woman’, with Coldplay closing out the set with a surprise appearance. Martin, joined by singer-songwriter Emmanuel Kelly, performed “A Sky Full of Stars’ joined by all the performers of the evening in a rousing finale.
Organisers have shared aims that this July’s crowning of the first official FIFA club world champion will reach the largest global audience ever for a club football competition, with the show supporting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
The initiative looks to raise $100million to provide children around the world with access to quality education as well as football, with one dollar from every ticket sold for FIFA Club World Cup matches in the US this summer to be donated to the fund.
“This show will be unforgettable,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino previously. “Not just for its spectacle on a landmark night, but also for the lasting impact it will make.”
As for Coldplay’s own charity efforts, their upcoming UK stadium shows – which include a record-breaking 10-night run at Wembley – will see 10 per cent of the band’s profits going to the Music Venue Trust.
The charity have been campaigning for a mandatory levy for £1 of every ticket sold to a gig at arena level and above to go back into the grassroots, at a time when the scene faces “disaster” with around two venues closing per week in the UK. “The band’s support really will stop venues closing, make tours happen and bring the joy of live music to thousands of people,” said MVT CEO Mark Davyd.
When sitting down with NME last year ahead of the release of ‘Moon Music‘, Martin discussed the importance of live venues and how they helped shape the band. “Playing live is an important connection,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me that there might not be another Coldplay, but it does bother me that there might not be acts that are free to start on the bottom rung and work all the way up – so that by the time they get to stadiums, they are really good.”
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso honored Shyne with a key to the city during a ceremony held at the East Flatbush Young Men’s Mentorship Expo on Saturday. The recognition highlighted both his influence in hip hop and his contributions as a public figure and advocate. Reynoso also declared April 25, 2026 as “Shyne Day” in Brooklyn.
“Shyne embodies what is possible when a community believes in its young people, and the magic that can happen when young people are given the resources they need to thrive. East Flatbush raised Shyne, and it only made sense to present him with the Key to Brooklyn as we team up to deliver hope and opportunity to dozens of young men today,” Reynoso said at the event, as caught by BK Reader.
Shyne also addressed the crowd. “This is the community that raised me, and it’s important for me to pass that love forward,” he said. “There couldn’t be a better way to celebrate this milestone than coming back home and pouring into the next generation.” He also revealed that everyone in attendance would receive complimentary tickets to his 25th anniversary concert on May 2 at the Kings Theatre.
The show will mark 25 years since the release of his self titled debut studio album, which arrived on September 26, 2000. Even while Shyne was incarcerated at the time, the project debuted and reached number five on the Billboard 200 chart. It moved close to 160,000 units in its opening week.
Earlier this week, Shyne posted a video of himself standing outside the Kings Theatre on Instagram while promoting the upcoming performance. "Can’t wait to see you this Saturday, May 2 @kingsbklyn as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Shyne Album…..the celebration will continue @crownhilltheatre where I will meet, take pictures and party with you, my loyal supporters, who’ve made Shyne a Rap Legend," he captioned the post. Fans filled the comments with fire emojis in response.
