At the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, a 27-minute halftime show curated by Chris Martin made its debut on football's grandest stage, blending global pop icons with the world's most-watched sport. The performance — featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, and Burna Boy — marked a deliberate borrowing from American spectacle culture, raising quiet but persistent questions about what a sport owes its traditions and what it gains by reaching beyond them. Humanity has long used its greatest gatherings as mirrors, and this one reflected a world uncertain whether it wants its games pure or embelli
First World Cup Final halftime show draws mixed reviews despite star-studded lineup
The World Cup just changed its own tradition
Mark
Why did they decide to add a halftime show to the World Cup Final now, after more than a century without one?
Mimi
The source doesn't say explicitly, but you can read between the lines—this was the most expensive, most-attended World Cup ever. There's a logic to it: if you're already breaking records, why not break the tradition too? It's a statement about scale.
Mark
And Chris Martin curating it—was that a statement about something else?
Mimi
Probably. Coldplay is global, respectable, not controversial. He's a safe choice who can also command attention. You're not going to offend anyone with Chris Martin the way you might with a more polarizing figure.
Mark
Wayne Rooney called it "crap." Do you think he was just being a curmudgeon, or was there something genuinely wrong with it?
Mimi
He might have been both. The show was only 27 minutes, but it still stretched the halftime break to over half an hour. If you're a player, a coach, a purist—you might resent that intrusion. Rooney's generation didn't grow up expecting entertainment at the World Cup. It felt foreign to him.
Mark
But most people thought it was well done?
Mimi
Yes. The consensus seemed to be that if you're going to do this, they did it right. It flowed, it didn't drag, the performances were clear and energetic. The real problem wasn't the show—it was that Spain and Argentina were both sluggish in the match itself.
Mark
So this becomes permanent?
Mimi
That's what the reporting suggests. If it worked once, and didn't break anything, there's no reason not to do it again. The World Cup just changed its own tradition.
Le Pouls
- For the first time in World Cup history, the Final paused not just for rest but for spectacle — a 27-minute pop concert inserted into football's most sacred match.
- The lineup was undeniably global in ambition: Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, and Burna Boy performed before an audience that had already shattered attendance records.
- Criticism came quickly — Wayne Rooney called it 'crap' on the BBC, and many questioned whether half an hour between halves was a disruption the sport could afford.
- Yet the broader verdict was quieter and more forgiving: most viewers found the show competent, energetic, and ultimately harmless to the match's momentum.
- With the experiment deemed a relative success, tournament organizers are now weighing whether halftime entertainment becomes a permanent fixture — a decision that could permanently alter the World Cup's identity.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, a 27-minute halftime show curated by Chris Martin made its debut on football's grandest stage, blending global pop icons with the world's most-watched sport. The performance — featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, and Burna Boy — marked a deliberate borrowing from American spectacle culture, raising quiet but persistent questions about what a sport owes its traditions and what it gains by reaching beyond them. Humanity has long used its greatest gatherings as mirrors, and this one reflected a world uncertain whether it wants its games pure or embellished.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final was already historic before a single note was played. Argentina chased back-to-back championships not seen since Brazil in 1962, and the tournament had broken attendance records at staggering cost. Then came something the World Cup had never attempted: a halftime show.
Chris Martin of Coldplay curated the lineup, and it read like a survey of global pop. Madonna emerged from the tunnel to open the set. The Muppets followed, led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel through "Seven Nation Army." BTS performed "Dynamite," Justin Bieber appeared via a Ted Lasso cameo to deliver a World Cup-inflected ballad, and Shakira closed alongside Burna Boy with the official tournament anthem, "Dai Dai." The whole thing ended with children on the pitch, joined by Martin and the performers, singing about love.
At 27 minutes, the show was brief by Super Bowl standards but long enough to ignite debate. Some praised it warmly, comparing it favorably to recent Super Bowl performances and noting the clarity of the vocals. Others, Wayne Rooney among them, were blunt in their dismissal. The length was the sharpest point of contention — returning to kickoff consumed more than half an hour.
Still, a quiet consensus formed: the show was well-paced, didn't derail the event, and may have even given Spain and Argentina — both slow to find their rhythm — a useful moment to regroup. Its relative success has left organizers inclined to make halftime entertainment a permanent feature of future Finals, a shift that would fundamentally change what the world's biggest sporting stage looks and feels like. Whether that change enriches the game or quietly diminishes it remains unresolved.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final made history on multiple fronts. Argentina stood on the precipice of becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since Brazil did it in 1962. The tournament itself had shattered attendance records and cost more than nearly any sporting event ever staged. And then, in the middle of it all, something unprecedented happened: the World Cup Final got a halftime show.
Chris Martin of Coldplay curated the spectacle, assembling a lineup that read like a greatest-hits compilation of global pop culture. Madonna opened the performance, beginning in the tunnel before emerging onto the field to roaring applause. The Muppets took the stage next, with conductor Gustavo Dudamel leading them through "Seven Nation Army." BTS followed with "Dynamite," one of their signature songs. Justin Bieber then appeared—introduced by a cameo from Jason Sudeikis playing Ted Lasso—to perform a quieter ballad he'd reworked to include references to the World Cup. Shakira and Burna Boy delivered the official tournament anthem, "Dai Dai," surrounded by backup dancers who injected fresh energy into the closing stretch. The show ended with children assembled on the field, joined by Martin and many of the other performers, singing about love.
The whole thing lasted 27 minutes—brief by Super Bowl halftime standards, but long enough to spark genuine debate about whether it belonged at a World Cup Final at all. Reactions split along predictable lines. Some viewers compared it favorably to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, praising the clarity of the vocals and the overall energy. Others, including former England star Wayne Rooney commenting for the BBC, were blunt in their dismissal, calling it "crap." The length drew particular criticism; getting from the end of the first half back to kickoff consumed more than half an hour.
Yet a broader consensus emerged beneath the noise. Most observers seemed to think the show was well-constructed, moved at a reasonable pace, and didn't drag the match to a halt. The real problem, some noted, was the match itself—Spain and Argentina both took time to settle into their rhythm, and genuine scoring chances remained scarce in the opening stretches. If anything, the halftime entertainment gave the teams a chance to regroup.
The show's relative success—the fact that it didn't derail the event or alienate the core audience—suggests this may not be a one-time experiment. Tournament organizers appear ready to make halftime entertainment a permanent feature of future World Cup Finals, fundamentally reshaping how the sport's biggest stage looks and feels. Whether that's a gift or a burden to the game itself remains an open question.
Citations marquantes
Called the halftime show 'crap' on the BBC broadcast— Wayne Rooney, former England star
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