Justin Bieber’s World Cup Halftime Sneakers Auction Raises $26,400
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium already carried enough drama on the pitch. Justin Bieber added a different kind of headline off it.
The custom SKYLRK sneakers he wore during his halftime performance have just pulled in serious money for a children’s charity, turning a brief appearance on the turf into a major fundraising moment.
Christie’s confirmed on Wednesday (July 29) that Bieber’s “Matter Daddy” low-tops from his SKYLRK apparel line sold for $26,400 in the auction house’s One Goal sale.
The “latte” colorway, finished with light pink accents, had been expected to fetch between $2,000 and $4,000. Bidders blew through that range in style, paying more than 10 times the estimate.
Every dollar goes to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, part of a $100 million initiative designed to widen access to both education and soccer for children worldwide.
Bieber wore the shoes only briefly, but on the biggest stage possible: the first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show, during which he delivered the acoustic ballad “Everything Hallelujah” in the Spain v. Argentina showdown on July 19. The sneakers were part of the debut of this particular Matter Daddy colorway, unveiled in front of a global audience at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
He wasn’t alone in turning performance gear into philanthropic firepower.
The halftime spectacle was stacked: Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy, the Muppets’ Electric Mayhem band, Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic and a finale curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay, who closed with the original song “We Dance” alongside the PS22 Chorus. Many of the night’s most memorable looks and props followed Bieber’s sneakers into the Christie’s catalog — and the bids flowed.
Items connected to BTS proved especially potent. Pieces worn during their run through their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Dynamite” raised a combined $300,300 for the charity.
- RM’s chunky Untitled-03 black boots at $19,800
- j-hope’s black and red fingerless gloves at $28,600
- Jin’s red leather belt at $16,500
- Suga’s red leather pants with a sewn-in silk scarf listing all the BTS members at $33,000
The numbers climbed higher. A custom black silk scarf featuring the group’s name, demon faces and soccer balls worn by V brought in $46,200, the red, black and white motocross jacket worn by Jung Kook matched that at $46,200, and the top BTS price came from Jimin’s white and red jersey with BTS patches, which soared to $110,000.
Shakira’s presence on the block was just as eye-catching. The bright yellow costume she wore in the official “Dai Dai” music video sold for $8,250, while an Earth Ball soccer ball signed by Shakira, Kaka and FIFA president Gianni Infantino went for $3,850.
Madonna’s contribution carried her trademark flair: a pair of bright pink, bedazzled fingerless gloves from her opening halftime set reached $41,800.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin also left his mark in ink. The two-page handwritten lyric sheet for “We Dance” — lyrics on one page, the halftime setlist on the other, complete with his signature and a message of love — drew $15,400. A blue World Cup Earth ball inscribed with the names of the halftime performers by Martin cleared more than $6,000.
One night, one final, one halftime show — and a pile of stage-worn keepsakes turned into hundreds of thousands of dollars for children who may never step inside a World Cup stadium, but could now find a way onto a pitch or into a classroom because of it.
