Highlights
- Madonna, Bieber, BTS and Shakira co-headlined FIFA’s first-ever World Cup Final halftime show.
- Chris Martin curated the 11-minute set, featuring Burna Boy, Dudamel and the Muppets.
- Show backed FIFA’s $100M Global Citizen Education Fund amid mixed fan reviews.
Soccer’s biggest stage got a serious dose of star power on Sunday.
Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS and Shakira headlined the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, a star-studded 11-minute spectacle that unfolded at New York New Jersey Stadium during the championship match between Argentina and Spain.
The show was curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and marked the first time in the tournament’s 96-year history that a halftime performance has been staged at a World Cup final.
Madonna kicked off the set with a medley of “Music” and “Danceteria,” joined by Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in a nightclub-themed set. The pop icon then went through some of her greatest hits before entering the stadium to pass the baton to renowned Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
BTS brought the K-pop firepower, entertaining the crowd with their hit “Dynamite.” The pivot from boy band to pop heartthrob came courtesy of an unlikely presenter, as fictional football coach Ted Lasso introduced Justin Bieber before Shakira and Burna Boy took to the stage.
Shakira’s inclusion doubled as a victory lap for her official World Cup anthem. The Colombian superstar teamed with Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Burna Boy on “Dai Dai,” which FIFA has described as “a vibrant celebration of football, culture and unity.” Shakira told People the collaboration felt like the “cherry on top” of the experience, adding, “I always wanted to do something with Burna.”
The performance stretched beyond music’s A-list, roping in Dudamel’s New York Philharmonic and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, the PS 22 Chorus and even the Muppets for a genuinely chaotic, genre-spanning showcase.
FIFA insisted the extravaganza was about more than star wattage. President Gianni Infantino said the lineup would help the organization “expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children around the world,” tying the halftime show to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for that cause.
Infantino called Bieber’s late addition to the bill a coup, saying “Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and PS 22 Chorus ft. Coldplay will also join and play a key role in conveying a powerful message of unity and hope to billions of people worldwide.”
FIFA had bent its own rules to make room for the spectacle, extending the usual 15-minute halftime break to accommodate the massive production. Not everyone was sold on the execution — critics and fans alike flagged the segment-hopping structure as more overstuffed variety show than cohesive concert.
President Trump‘s presence in the stands added an extra layer of scrutiny to the proceedings, with NPR noting the lineup “felt a little more political than it might have otherwise.”
Whatever the verdict on the staging, FIFA got what it wanted: a halftime show fans will be talking about long after the final whistle.
