Shakira and The Weeknd are two of several big names joining the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund’s Advisory Board ahead of next year’s World Cup, it was announced Monday (Oct. 27).
The Latin music superstar and Canadian hitmaker will work with fellow board members Ivanka Trump, Hugh Jackman, Gianni Infantino, Hugh Evans and Serena Williams — as well as other “leading figures across entertainment, sports, and business,” according to a release — in overseeing the fund’s efforts to make education more accessible around the world. They’ll draw on their own personal experiences and careers to provide guidance and ensure that the fund “achieves maximum impact” ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer.
The goal is to raise $100 million for education efforts, with Global Citizen aiming to service 100,000 children across 200+ communities worldwide. The first round of grantees will be announced in early 2026; to apply, visit globalcitizen.org/education-fund-apply.
News of the board’s A-list membership comes months after the March announcement that Coldplay’s Chris Martin will curate FIFA’s first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show for the 2026 World Cup, taking place at the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. “This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at the time.
A multifaceted charity organization, Global Citizen works to address critical issues such as climate change, poverty and inequality through campaigns, conferences and other awareness-raising events. This weekend, Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia will take place in Brazil, marking the first Global Citizen Fest in Latin America, where Martin is set to perform along with Anitta, Charlie Puth, Seu Jorge and more. The festival’s goal is to amplify the voices of indigenous peoples and local communities in the Amazon rainforest and raise $1 billion to protect, restore and rewild the Amazon rainforest.
Global Citizen’s partnership with FIFA comes at a time when 350 million children worldwide are currently not in school, the organization reports.
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