As 1.5bn people tuned in to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup final match between Spain and Argentina on Sunday evening, expectations were high for the game’s star-studded halftime show.
Prior to Sunday, FIFA had never staged entertainment during the final - unlike the US Super Bowl, where pop performances at halftime are an integral part of the game.
Perhaps the Stateside influence paid off at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as Madonna confidently opened the halftime show dressed in a lilac-coloured motorcycle outfit.
Surrounded by a youthful throng, the music icon rode through the backstage and on to the pitch while singing a mashup of her 2008 hit “Music” and the 2026 anthem “Danceteria”.
From then on, everyone was in the party spirit as Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, led the combined might of the New York Philharmonic and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela for a dazzling jam session... with none other than The Muppets' own wild-eyed drummer Animal on percussion.
South Korea boyband and K-pop pioneers BTS then enveloped the pitch in a sea of red as they performed their hit “Dynamite”, clad in an array of red leather outfits.
There was definite shift in the energy as Justin Bieber walked out solo on to the pitch, armed with just an acoustic guitar, as he sang a heartfelt rendition of his hit “Everything Hallelujah” - easily winning the crowd over with the reflective shift in dynamics.
Then, the thumping sound of Latin pop and Afrobeats consumed the stadium as Shakira and Burna Boy marched out with an army of grass-skirted dancers behind them to the beat of “Dai, Dai” - the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There was no dip in energy as Shakira hurled out the lyrics, with Burna Boy’s lightning vocalisations piercing at just the right moment.
The show finished with a moving call for acceptance by the PS22 Chorus with Coldplay themselves discreetly joining in the background, while Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog assumed their natural positions in the spotlight.
This year’s halftime show was curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay, in aid of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, with a goal to fundraise $100 million to improve access to quality education and football for children across the globe.
Sunday has seen a tense play-off between Spain and reigning champions Argentina. Spain has reached the final of this competition for just the second time in their history, and can become the first nation to ever complete a Euros and World Cup double on two separate occasions.
Argentina came from behind to beat England in the semi-final, with the the dream of becoming only the third nation ever to win back-to-back World Cups, following the Italy team of 1934 and 1938. But as of 80 minutes in the tense match, not a single goal had been scored.
