Justin Bieber’s World Cup Halftime Sneakers Auction Success
The boots Justin Bieber laced up for his 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show have just done almost as much work off the pitch as he did on it.
A custom pair of SKYLRK Matter Daddy low-tops, worn by Bieber during his acoustic performance of “Everything Hallelujah” at the Spain v. Argentina final on July 19, sold at Christie's for $26,400 — obliterating the original $2,000–$4,000 estimate. One pair of “latte” sneakers with light pink accents, more than 10 times the guide price, turned into serious money for a global cause.
Every dollar goes to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund via Christie's One Goal auction, a $100 million initiative designed to widen access to both education and football for children around the world. A fashion flex turned into funding for classrooms and pitches.
Bieber only wore the shoes briefly, but the stage could hardly have been bigger. The World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosted the first-ever FIFA final halftime show, a made-for-TV spectacle that stacked star power: Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy, the Muppets’ Electric Mayhem band, Gustavo Dudamel with the New York Philharmonic, and a closing set curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who led the PS22 Chorus through the original song “We Dance.”
Christie’s confirmed that Bieber debuted this specific Matter Daddy colorway on that night, and his sneakers were far from the only items to spark a bidding war.
Pop culture and football memorabilia collided.
Pieces worn by BTS during their run through their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Dynamite” proved especially potent, hauling in a combined $300,300 for the charity. Fans chased everything from footwear to finishing touches: RM’s chunky Untitled-03 black boots went for $19,800, j-hope’s black and red fingerless gloves hit $28,600, and Jin’s red leather belt drew $16,500.
The numbers climbed higher as the lots got bolder. Suga’s red leather pants, complete with a sewn-in silk scarf listing all seven BTS members, fetched $33,000. A custom black silk scarf worn by V — decorated with the group’s name, demon faces and soccer balls — matched the top tier at $46,200, the same price paid for Jung Kook’s red, black and white motocross jacket. The standout? A white and red jersey covered in BTS patches worn by Jimin, which rocketed to $110,000.
The pop icons around Bieber also drew heavyweight bids. Shakira’s bright yellow costume from the official “Dai Dai” music video sold for $8,250, while an Earth Ball signed by Shakira, Kaka and FIFA president Gianni Infantino went for $3,850. Madonna’s flair translated into hard cash too: a pair of bright pink, bedazzled fingerless gloves from her opening halftime set commanded $41,800.
The night’s soundtrack had its own relics. The two-page handwritten lyric sheet for Coldplay’s “We Dance” — lyrics on one page, the halftime setlist on the other, signed by Chris Martin with a personal message of love — drew $15,400. A blue World Cup Earth ball, inscribed by Martin with the names of the halftime performers, cleared more than $6,000.
One final delivered drama on the field. The spectacle around it is now quietly reshaping lives far away from MetLife Stadium, where a pair of “latte” sneakers and a stack of stage-worn outfits have been converted into something far more enduring than a halftime show: opportunity.
