Pop icons Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Shakira delivered a dynamic musical performance on Sunday during the first-ever halftime show at a World Cup final.
Madonna opened the Super Bowl-style performance—one of several American additions to this year’s tournament—with her 2000 hit single “Music.” Wearing a pink corset and sporty jacket, she arrived on the field at New York New Jersey Stadium in a dune buggy driven by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
The focus then shifted to Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who led an orchestra comprising musicians from New York and Venezuela, alongside The Muppets’ band Electric Mayhem, in a performance of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes.
K-pop group BTS, performing in black-and-red outfits, followed with their hit “Dynamite.” American actors Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, appearing in character from the television show “Ted Lasso,” introduced Justin Bieber as a mid-show substitute. Bieber slowed the tempo with an acoustic performance of “Everything Hallelujah,” altering the final lyric to “World Cup Hallelujah.”
Colombian artist Shakira, wearing a sequined pink-and-yellow outfit, teamed up with Nigerian musician Burna Boy to perform “Dai Dai,” the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup. The show concluded with the word “LOVE” displayed across the field, using an image of the Earth for the letter O.
Prior to the match, the show faced criticism for extending beyond the traditional 15-minute break. While the Laws of the Game state that halftime intervals should not exceed 15 minutes, tournament regulations do not explicitly cap the duration. Though the musical set lasted 11 minutes, the full halftime break ran approximately 27 minutes to accommodate setup and removal of stage equipment.
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