The World Cup Halftime Show Has a Long, Long Way to Go

3 min readThere was much to talk about before the 2026 World Cup final kicked off. Spain’s Lamine Yamal was set to take on Argentina’s Lionel Messi in a battle of the old generation versus the new. A photo of Messi and a baby Yamal resurfaced on every news channel around the globe. Tom Cruise gave a speech (somehow without plugging his love for the movies). Plus, Donald Trump was booed at a major sporting event. Again. But it was a jam-packed musical halftime show that broke up an otherwise boring final match, featuring more bodies on the pitch than the mobs of Scottish tourists who drank Boston dry.Despite the exhaustive talent list, die-hard soccer fans—a.k.a. football fans—didn’t exactly want a halftime show. The extra time tacked on for the performance added to the anger fans already felt toward the “hydration breaks,” which they felt American broadcasts only included to air commercials. So, even a well-choreographed and lively show featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, The Muppets, Chris Martin, and an entire children’s chorus didn’t exactly justify the spectacle. (Though it sure beat a score of 0-0 at the half!)Instead of working out the performances together under one headliner, like the Super Bowl, the World Cup halftime show’s micro-performances were all stacked in a nonsensical order. It was already off to a rough start when Madonna’s seemingly pretaped performance of her 2000 hit “Music”—featuring appearances from both Ronaldo and Ronaldinho—transitioned into the singer simply walking out from the tunnel onto the pitch.Michael Regan - FIFA//Getty ImagesRonaldo, Ronaldinho, and . . . Madonna?From there, we quickly smashed together all seven members of BTS performing their hundredth rendition of “Dynamite.” Shakira and Burna Boy danced to their 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem “Dai Dai,” and Coldplay also sang their 2026 FIFA World Cup song “We Dance” alongside the PS22 children’s chorus from Staten Island, New York. In lieu of a stage that would have destroyed the field, the British band simply rolled out a colorful tarp. Oh, and Animal from the Muppets drummed along to Meg White’s iconic “Seven Nation Army” riff. (Hope they cleared that one with Jack White!) Everyone mostly chose more recognizable hits or FIFA anthems over their newer material, and it was all flawlessly executed if not a little uninspired.Justin Bieber was the sole exception. After an introduction from Jason Sudeikis’s Ted Lasso character, the pop singer easily stole the entire show. He performed “Everything Hallelujah,” off the deluxe reissue of his 2025 R&B album Swag. It was the quietest song of the show and still the most impactful. While everyone else performed to the on-field camera like they weren’t even at the World Cup, Bieber broke up the chaos and sang directly to the crowd.Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto//Getty ImagesJustin Bieber was the best part of the show.You can’t say that FIFA didn’t try, and I certainly didn’t have the same strong feelings against it as former England striker Wayne Rooney. The athlete stated live on the BBC broadcast immediately following the show, ‘The best part was when it finished.” Ouch! “I like a lot of them artists,” he told the audience, “but I thought it was crap.”Rooney’s take is a bit harsh. Honestly, I’m surprised that the show made him feel anything at all. Ironically, it may have needed a few hydration breaks. But FIFA didn’t destroy the pitch, and the match continued without any more delays. Possibly, the erratic performances just felt jarring smashed in between a mostly scoreless soccer match.Unlike Messi (probably), FIFA can try again in four years.