Global Citizen Raises $47M for FIFA Education Fund

Global Citizen, the antipoverty nonprofit known for large-scale events, announced Thursday at its annual summit in New York that it has raised $47 million toward a $100 million goal for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which supports grassroots groups providing education and sports access to underserved children worldwide.

The initiative coincides with preparations for the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show on July 19, curated with assistance from Coldplay singer Chris Martin and featuring performers Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Organizers plan to leverage the tournament's billions of projected viewers to promote the fund, which FIFA launched in partnership with Global Citizen. A dollar from every World Cup ticket sale will contribute to the effort. The 2026 tournament will span host countries United States, Mexico and Canada.

Shakira released the official World Cup song "Dai Dai," featuring Afrobeats artist Burna Boy, on Thursday. Speaking at the Global Citizen NOW summit, she said, "I hope that on the world's biggest stage, finally, the importance of investing in education steals the show." In a separate interview, she added, "That should be our first concern,"...