World Cup final: FIFA breaks tradition for 30-minute halftime break with show featuring chaotic combo of BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Madonna
That’s one way to stop a soccer game: Rather than a typical halftime period, Sunday’s matchup between Argentina and Spain on Sunday took a lengthy break for the first World Cup halftime show.
The lengthy event had a slew of performances from various artists, stretching the halftime break to 27 minutes — nearly double the 15 minutes allowed under IFAB’s Laws of the Game.
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The show kicked off with a pre-recorded segment from Madonna flipping to the singer emerging from the tunnel, joined by Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
It then went to the Muppets accompanying an orchestral rendition of Seven Nation Army — plus a quick reference to the Norwegian Viking row — before BTS took the stage to perform “Dynamite.”
From there, “Ted Lasso” actors Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, as their characters from the show, hyped up Justin Bieber before an oddly solemn performance of “Everything Hallelujah,” with lyrics changed to be World Cup-specific.
Shakira and Burna Boy then performed a rendition of their 2026 World Cup anthem “Dai Dai.” And then the kids came out, with a group of colorfully clad children singing about love with Coldplay to close the show on a very saccharine note.
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In addition to being jam-packed full of pop culture and pop singing performances — some of which were more visibly lip-synced than others — the show tried to include callbacks and montages to cultural pieces of the tournament.
With the addition of controversial hydration breaks, FIFA has already been accused of making the World Cup more like American football by breaking the game into quarters. Sunday’s halftime show has received similar criticism, trying to emulate a Super Bowl rather than differentiate itself.
The timing itself is also unprecedented, breaking up the game with a lengthy break and potentially making it harder for players to stay warm before the second half. The game ended up heading to extra time, with Spain earning the 1-0 win over Argentina.
