Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber headlined an outsized halftime show at the World Cup final, delivering a 27 minutes and 22 seconds performance — the longest in tournament history — before a packed stadium and a global audience.
The spectacle unfolded at the New York New Jersey Stadium, turning the pitch into a pulsating concert stage with fireworks encircling the arena. The marathon halftime — unusual for world soccer — marked a made-for-television crescendo to a monthlong tournament and underscored how global football increasingly pairs athletic drama with entertainment-scale production.
Star turns and striking visuals
Madonna emerged to perform her hit “Music,” appearing to rise from beneath the arena as Brazilian legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo flanked her. Justin Bieber took a stripped-down turn on guitar, while Shakira reunited with Nigerian artist Burna Boy for “Dai Dai,” the collaboration that has pulsed through stadium speakers during the tournament. South Korea’s BTS — returning to the stage after a three-year break linked to mandatory military service at home — added K-pop firepower to a lineup designed for broad, cross-border appeal.
| Performer | Notable moment |
|---|---|
| Madonna | Staged entrance to “Music,” flanked by Ronaldinho and Ronaldo |
| Shakira & Burna Boy | Reunited for “Dai Dai,” a stadium fixture this tournament |
| Justin Bieber | Acoustic segment on guitar |
| BTS | High-profile comeback appearance after service hiatus |
Beyond the stage, the stands doubled as a pop-culture crossroad. High-profile attendees included Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, along with Beyoncé and Jay‑Z. British-Argentine actor Anya Taylor‑Joy was also seen with her husband, musician Malcolm McRae. Ahead of an earlier England–Argentina semifinal, she reflected on her roots:
“[She was] for Argentina in her ‘heart of hearts.’”
A closing ceremony built for crossover appeal
The football finale began hours earlier with a closing ceremony mixing American and international acts. Jennifer Hudson delivered the national anthem, and actor Tom Cruise addressed the crowd about the unifying power of the sport. Streamer IShowSpeed opened the on-field festivities, joined by drummers and dancers in vivid tracksuits.
Elsewhere, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini performed together, leaning into the tournament’s tri‑nation flavor. Rapper-singer Post Malone added a set built around his hit “Wow.” The production emphasized the tournament’s global reach and its staging on American turf — a reminder that soccer’s once‑niche footprint in the United States now anchors prime-time entertainment.
Why the show matters
World Cup halftime performances have not traditionally rivaled the scale of U.S. sporting spectacles, but this year’s extended runtime signals how the event is evolving to meet global TV and streaming audiences. For American viewers, the show bridged familiar pop icons and international stars, pairing the country’s entertainment engine with the world’s most watched sport.
- Record length: At 27:22, the halftime set a tournament benchmark.
- Global lineup: From K‑pop to Afrobeats to American pop, the roster mirrored soccer’s global fan base.
- Cultural crossover: A U.S.-hosted finale used star power to expand the sport’s mainstream American footprint.
The night’s imagery — fireworks lofting over the stadium and household names straddling the pitch — distilled the tournament’s blend of sport and showbusiness. As soccer deepens its presence in the United States, the World Cup leaned into a formula long familiar to American audiences: big stakes on the field, bigger names at halftime.
