The report says memorabilia worn by BTS during their performance at the 2026 World Cup final helped raise $652,630 for a children’s education fund. The group’s seven items brought in $300,300, with Jimin’s shirt selling for $110,000 - the same price reportedly paid for the final’s match ball.
That result gives the halftime show a second life beyond the stadium: a moment of pop culture turned into a major charitable contribution. The report says bids came from 24 countries, while several other items, including pieces associated with V, Jungkook and Suga, also attracted substantial sums.
The report also says BTS will not submit tracks from *ARIRANG* for next year’s Grammy Awards, citing concerns about a language requirement for the Recording Academy’s new Asian Pop category. The decision puts the group’s influence to work in a different arena, challenging how global music is recognised.
Recording Academy chief executive Harvey Mason Jr reportedly said he respected the choice, while defending the category’s purpose: “It's never to divide, but to expand.” The exchange frames a wider debate about whether awards can celebrate regional scenes without narrowing how audiences hear them.
Football’s global reach increasingly creates space for those debates, with a World Cup halftime show able to connect sport, music and charitable fundraising in one event. The next storyline will be whether the Grammy dispute prompts a broader conversation about language and recognition - and how future football spectacles use their enormous audiences.