DistantNews
Support us
🇫🇯 Fiji /Sports

Madonna, BTS and Bieber bring star power to World Cup halftime show

From FBC News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • A star-studded halftime show at the World Cup final featured performances by Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Shakira.
  • The show included American elements like a dune buggy entrance for Madonna and appearances by actors from "Ted Lasso."
  • The 11-minute musical performance, part of a longer 27-minute break, drew criticism for deviating from the traditional 15-minute halftime interval.

The World Cup final featured a high-energy halftime show on Sunday, blending global music superstars with distinctly American entertainment elements. Headlining the event were Madonna, K-pop sensation BTS, pop star Justin Bieber, and Colombian singer Shakira, delivering a medley of hits in what was billed as the first Super Bowl-style halftime show for the tournament.

Music, makes the people, come together.

— MadonnaSinging lyrics during her performance at the World Cup final halftime show.

Madonna opened the performance, emerging from a dune buggy driven by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho to sing her 2000 hit "Music." The show then shifted focus to Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who led an orchestra featuring musicians from New York and Venezuela, alongside The Muppets' band Electric Mayhem, performing "Seven Nation Army." K-pop group BTS followed with their upbeat track "Dynamite."

American actors Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, reprising their roles as coaches from the TV show "Ted Lasso," introduced Justin Bieber. Bieber then offered a more subdued performance of "Everything Hallelujah." Shakira, joined by Nigeria's Burna Boy, performed "Dai Dai," the official song of the 2026 World Cup. The elaborate show concluded with the word "LOVE" displayed across the field, symbolizing the Earth.

Go out there, don’t be nervous, nobody’s watching.

— Jason SudeikisAs a character from 'Ted Lasso,' introducing Justin Bieber.

Despite the star power, the halftime show faced criticism for its duration. While the musical performances lasted 11 minutes, the total break extended to approximately 27 minutes due to the time needed for stage setup and removal. This exceeded the traditional 15-minute interval, prompting debate about adherence to the Laws of the Game, which stipulate a halftime interval "not exceeding 15 minutes."

World Cup Hallelujah.

— Justin BieberAltering the lyrics of his song during the halftime performance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by FBC News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog