Madonna, BTS and Shakira led the first World Cup halftime show during the Spain-Argentina final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, in an 11-minute set curated by Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the Muppets and the PS22 Chorus also appeared during the performance, which marked the tournament’s first final interrupted for a full musical show.
Madonna opened with a pre-recorded sequence featuring Brazilian football greats Ronaldo and Ronaldinho before appearing briefly inside the stadium. BTS followed with “Dynamite,” while Bieber delivered an acoustic performance.
Shakira and Burna Boy performed the FIFA World Cup 2026 song “Dai Dai,” backed by Uganda’s Ghetto Kids. Chris Martin and a children’s chorus closed the show.
Although the musical portion lasted about 11 minutes, the entire halftime interval extended to roughly 27 minutes, almost twice the traditional 15-minute football break.
Former England striker Wayne Rooney criticised the performance during BBC coverage, describing it as “crap.”
Read: Spain Beat Argentina 1-0 to Win The FIFA World Cup 2026
The show supported the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which finances education and sports programmes for children in underserved communities. The fund had raised $60 million toward a $100 million target.
