The 2026 World Cup final half-time show, a controversial innovation, featured a star-studded lineup including Madonna, Coldplay, Shakira, and BTS in an 11-minute spectacle. Critics questioned its necessity, but the performance zipped along with quick cuts and pared-down songs.
Pre-Show and Closing Ceremony: A Mixed Bag
Before the half-time show, the pre-match closing ceremony was a damp squib that neither the BBC nor ITV broadcast live. On iPlayer, viewers saw Post Malone debut "Chrome Heartbreaker" and duet with Swae Lee on "Sunflower," as well as IShowSpeed performing "Champions." The latter, a track from the official Fifa World Cup album, featured lyrics like "I take a breath and wait for the ref / This is the World Cup, put your hands in the air." The crowd's silence at its conclusion contrasted with later fireworks that drew audible excitement.
Musical Performances and Highlights
Jennifer Hudson sang the Star-Spangled Banner, while Robbie Williams performed the Fifa anthem "Desire" with Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger. The ballad, which debuted at the draw ceremony in December, had failed to chart globally. The half-time show itself included Madonna performing "Music" on a Mad Max-ish vehicle piloted by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" was performed by three members of the Muppets' Electric Mayhem, BTS played "Dynamite," Shakira and Burna Boy performed "Dai Dai," and Coldplay sang "Believe in Love" with a children's choir and vuvuzela players.
Reactions and Controversy
Justin Bieber's acoustic ballad "Everything Hallelujah" was a possible misstep, but overall the show justified its existence, according to some. However, not everyone was convinced. "I thought it was crap," said Wayne Rooney to BBC presenter Gabby Logan. The half-time show's existence also breaks the International Football Association's 15-minute half-time mandate, and its resemblance to the NFL's Super Bowl halftime entertainment has drawn criticism from those who see it as America imposing itself on the World Cup.
