Repeat of Salt Bae World Cup fiasco predicted with 2026 final's halftime show set to attract influencers like KSI, Logan Paul & Mr. Beast

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed plans for a half-time show and announced that Coldplay will help to decide which artists will perform at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026.

The halftime show will be a first for the World Cup, although it's been a regular fixture at the NFL Super Bowl with iconic stars such as Kendrick Lamar, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga having all performed and drawn in huge audiences previously.

Football finance expert Rob Wilson has warned the half-time show could turn into a fiasco, highlighting how Salt Bae was involved in a debacle at World Cup 2022. The celebrity chef gate crashed Argentina's celebrations and was spotted taking selfies with the players on the pitch and touching the trophy in cringeworthy scenes. Wilson feels the prestige of the event will attract social media personalities such as KSI, Logan Paul & Mr. Beast which could spell disaster.

Football finance expert Wilson told OLBG: "I don't think football or the World Cup final is quite ready for the likes of social media personalities such as KSI, Logan Paul and Mr. Beast for the time being. We certainly weren’t ready for Salt Bae. Although it's natural that if you are projecting images of your crowd, anybody that is a so-called celebrity sat in that crowd will certainly look to get some airtime. I think it's really important for ticket pricing, actually, and the dynamic ticket pricing strategies that happen. Those seats will become highly prized by some of these A-list celebrities so that they do get some screen time but I think football will perhaps learn the lessons from how the NFL operates the Super Bowl.

"Look at what really engages fans the most and whether that's the music, the entertainment, or indeed, whether it's some of those celebrities that are being beamed into both the stadium and our screens right right across the world, but they won't want to cheapen the product. Certainly as a methodology for testing the concept of half-time shows, in a sport such as football, because it's very different to what European audiences in particular are used to, and that's where the lion's share of investment comes from.

"And just, in addition to that, ,whilst we looked at that through the perspective of Football World Cup and the organisation of the halftime show, what we, what I didn't do is look at the optics from the other side of the coin, those celebrities that are looking to get airtime. I think you will see social media influencers really strategising about how they might be able to get onto the box because the reality is that the World Cup final is one of the biggest TV viewing events of the sporting calendar, rivalling the likes of the 100 metre final at the Olympic Games, and some of the audiences that you get for the NFL albeit those are more US focused. So those social media celebrities, like Salt Bae in 2022, will certainly be looking at getting in on the act, and generating more viewing for their platforms."

Fans will have to wait and see the line-up for the half-time show, although a recent poll has suggested that the majority of American fans back the idea. Supporters are also backing Shakira to get the nod as the top artist to perform but aren't too keen on Drake being involved.