Before Ferran Torres scored the winner, before Fernandez saw red, and before Messi sat alone on the pitch, the 2026 World Cup final gave the world something it had never seen: a live concert at halftime. The world cup final halftime show, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and featuring Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Justin Bieber, was FIFA’s boldest attempt yet to import the Super Bowl spectacle into soccer. Here is what happened and whether it worked.
What Happened
The show ran approximately 14 minutes, extending the standard 15-minute halftime break by roughly five minutes. Shakira opened with a medley that included references to her 2010 World Cup anthem, Bieber performed a stripped-back set, BTS brought pyrotechnics and choreography, and Madonna closed with a two-song set that culminated in a fireworks display visible from across the New Jersey skyline. Characters from The Muppets made a brief, surreal cameo. The production was handled by Global Citizen in partnership with Live Nation and Done + Dusted, the same team behind recent Super Bowl halftimes.
Did It Work?
For the American broadcast audience, yes. The halftime show was a cultural event in its own right, generating enormous social media engagement and keeping casual viewers locked in during a scoreless first half. For traditional soccer fans, the reaction was mixed to hostile: European supporters in particular criticized the delay, the noise, and the principle of inserting entertainment into a sporting event that has never needed it.
The honest truth is that the halftime show was aimed squarely at the American market, and it achieved its goal of making the World Cup final feel like the biggest event in the world rather than just the biggest match. Whether FIFA repeats it at future tournaments, particularly at the 2030 World Cup partly hosted in Spain and Argentina where traditional fan culture runs deep, will depend on whether the commercial upside outweighs the cultural resistance.
The Pregame and Closing Ceremony
The spectacle extended beyond halftime. Jennifer Hudson sang the US national anthem. Post Malone headlined the closing ceremony alongside Tom Cruise, who delivered a speech that was universally described as cringeworthy. Ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced the teams with his signature line. The entire production delayed kickoff by five minutes, which frustrated purists but delighted the celebrity-filled MetLife crowd, which included US President Donald Trump.
For the match itself, our final recap covers every detail. Full ceremony info at FIFA.
