Lisa for the Opening, BTS for the Finals: K-pop Stars Set to Take Over the World Cup!

K-pop artists are about to set another historic milestone by dominating the stage of the World Cup, the world’s biggest festival!

With the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup kicking off next month, music and soccer fans worldwide are buzzing with the news that K-pop stars will be in charge of both the opening and the finale.

First up, BLACKPINK’s Lisa will kick off the festivities on the 12th of next month (local time). As this World Cup is co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, the opening ceremonies will take place across three different locations. Lisa has been selected as the main artist for the opening ceremony held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, USA.

Lisa is set to perform alongside global superstars like Katy Perry, Future, and DJ Sanjoy. Following BTS’s Jungkook, who became the first K-pop artist to perform at an opening ceremony during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Lisa will be the first member of a K-pop girl group to grace a World Cup opening ceremony held abroad, opening new horizons as a K-pop female solo artist.

For the climax of the festival, the finals, BTS will take the stage. FIFA and the international civic movement organization Global Citizen have officially announced BTS as co-headliners for the halftime show of the final match, which will be held on July 19 at New Jersey Stadium in New York, USA.

This marks the first time in World Cup history that a halftime show has been introduced for the finals. BTS will stand shoulder to shoulder with pop legends Madonna and Shakira for this historic first performance. In this show, planned by Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin, BTS intends to deliver their signature message of harmony and hope to billions of viewers.

The fact that K-pop stars have simultaneously conquered the two most symbolic stages of a World Cup held in another country is deeply significant. Considering that World Cup openings and NFL halftime shows were once the exclusive domain of mainstream English-speaking pop stars, these performances by Lisa and BTS prove that K-pop has fully established itself as a global mainstream phenomenon.

As K-pop stars are loved as icons leading global cultural trends beyond mere musical success, all eyes are on how far their influence will reach.