Justin Bieber’s World Cup Sneakers Auction for Charity
The 2026 World Cup final already had history on its side. Spain v. Argentina under the lights at MetLife Stadium, a first-ever FIFA final halftime show, and Justin Bieber walking out in custom SKYLRK sneakers to sing an acoustic “Everything Hallelujah.”
Those same shoes have now written a different kind of story.
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, obliterating an original estimate of $2,000–$4,000. The latte-colored sneakers, finished with light pink accents, were on his feet only briefly during that halftime performance — long enough, it turns out, to become a serious fundraising weapon.
Every dollar goes to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, part of a $100 million initiative designed to widen access to both education and football for children worldwide. One pair of shoes, more than ten times the expected price, feeding into a project on a global scale.
A Halftime Show Turned Fundraiser
Bieber’s sneakers were just one thread in a wildly ambitious halftime tapestry. The World Cup final stage at MetLife became a pop-culture summit: Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy, the Muppets’ Electric Mayhem band, Gustavo Dudamel, the New York Philharmonic, and a finale built around set curator Chris Martin of Coldplay performing the original song “We Dance” with the PS22 Chorus.
Christie’s used that star power wisely. The Matter Daddy debut in that specific colorway came on the World Cup stage, but the auction extended the moment, folding it into a broader charity push that drew in fans from multiple music worlds.
BTS, predictably, were a juggernaut. Items worn by the group during their run through their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Dynamite” generated a combined $300,300 for the fund. Individual pieces turned into headline lots:
- RM’s chunky Untitled-03 black boots fetched $19,800.
- j-hope’s black and red fingerless gloves reached $28,600.
- Jin’s red leather belt sold for $16,500.
- Suga’s red leather pants, complete with a sewn-in silk scarf listing all the BTS members’ names, climbed to $33,000.
- V’s custom black silk scarf, decorated with the group’s name, demon faces and soccer balls, hit $46,200.
- Jung Kook’s red, black and white motocross jacket matched that number at $46,200.
- Jimin’s white and red jersey, patched with BTS insignia, surged to $110,000 on its own.
The pressure on bidders didn’t let up.
Shakira, Madonna and a Growing Tally
Shakira’s presence at the World Cup has long been synonymous with big anthems and bigger visuals, and the auction reflected that. The bright yellow costume she wore in the official “Dai Dai” music video went for $8,250, while an Earth Ball football signed by Shakira, Kaka and FIFA president Gianni Infantino drew $3,850.
Then came Madonna. Her bright pink, bedazzled fingerless gloves from the opening halftime set became one of the night’s standout fashion lots, selling for $41,800. A pop icon’s stage gear, a World Cup final backdrop, and a children’s charity at the other end of the hammer — it was an easy story for bidders to buy into.
Coldplay’s imprint on the event also translated cleanly to the auction room. The two-page handwritten lyric sheet for “We Dance,” including the song’s lyrics on one page and the halftime setlist on the other, signed by Chris Martin and carrying a message of love, brought in $15,400. A blue World Cup Earth ball inscribed with the names of the halftime performers by Martin added more than $6,000 to the total.
One final, one halftime show, and a series of objects that would normally vanish into private collections instead turned into a funding stream for children’s education and access to the game.
On the pitch, Spain v. Argentina decided a world champion. Off it, a latte-colored pair of sneakers and a handful of costumes and props quietly helped decide something else: how many kids around the world might get a chance to dream of playing there next.
