Photo Credit: Post Malone and Swae Lee perform “Sunflower” at the FIFA World Cup 2026 / Official FIFA World Cup (Instagram)
The star-studded halftime show at the FIFA World Cup was the first of its kind, featuring Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy, Justin Bieber, and even the Muppets. Soccer purists bristled at the Super Bowl-style spectacle — though when in America, FIFA did what Americans do.
The FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show pulled out all the stops to make the event the closest thing the soccer world had seen to rival the NFL’s Super Bowl. Impressively, it managed to fit Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, Chris Martin, and even the Muppets into one 11-minute segment.
And yes, it was something of a pop music fever dream, but it also served as a fitting spectacle to end such a historic, world-uniting game. The show actually clocked in at just over 11 minutes, which is pretty impressive considering some reports suggested that the halftime show could exceed its allotted time to make room for all the special guests.
Madonna kicked things off with her classic hit “Music” in a seemingly pre-taped segment with soccer icons Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazário (The Two Rons—no, not that one) in which they were whisked away in a Jeep through the presumed bowels of the stadium on their way to the field.
Cut to LA Phil conductor Gustavo Dudamel leading string sections from New York, Venezuela, and even a Muppet band in a rendition of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” While a fun bit, it left fans wondering why Jack White himself wasn’t there to lead that iconic guitar riff. Nevertheless, it set the tone for BTS to take over at around three minutes in.
And take over they did. With just under two minutes of time for the K-pop kings to do their thing, they showed the world why theirs is one of the fastest-growing genres on the planet with an incredible rendition of “Dynamite.” Their set made ample use of what little time they had before cutting to a surprise appearance by Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, coaching Justin Bieber before he hit the field armed with only an acoustic guitar.
Bieber’s set hit the minimalism hard, and it actually worked well woven between the intensity that came before and after it. He performed a solo rendition of “Everything Hallelujah” from his Swag II record—this time without a laptop.
Shakira and Burna Boy cranked it up to eleven with their official FIFA anthem, “Dai Dai,” in a colorful spectacle filled with child dancers and women of seemingly multiple nationalities. Their message of belonging and unity was punctuated by another appearance by the Muppets, as well as the PS22 Chorus and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who curated the halftime show. “We believe in love,” they sang, as the camera pulled back to reveal the word “LOVE” with a giant globe inside the O.
Beyond the halftime show itself, the pre-game show was similarly stacked with stars like Post Malone and Swae Lee, Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, and Laura Pausini.
Posty and Swae performed their hit “Sunflower,” and Jennifer Hudson delivered a powerful U.S. national anthem, while Williams, Scherzinger, and Pausini played their prior FIFA theme, “Desire.”
In the crowd sat a slew of celebrities, including The Weeknd, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Mick Jagger, Pharrell Williams, Timothée Chalamet, and Kylie Jenner. Several politicians and leaders were also present, such as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Donald Trump.
Was it over the top? Yes. But when you’re trying to break the pop culture barrier in the United States, you kind of have to be.
