A diverse lineup of performers, including Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, and Shakira, took the stage for the World Cup‘s first halftime show. The event, held at MetLife Stadium outside New York, aimed to bring a similar energy to the Super Bowl halftime performances. The 11-minute show also featured appearances by Burna Boy, Ted Lasso characters, and numerous Muppets.
Each headliner performed for approximately two minutes. Madonna opened the show with her 2000 hit “Music,” joined by former Brazilian football players Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Her segment began with a prerecorded piece in a roller rink before she entered the stadium on a dune buggy. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel led an orchestra in a rendition of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” with the Muppets house band, including Animal on drums, providing background.
K-pop group BTS performed “Dynamite” on the field, following a nod to Norway’s Viking culture. Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, in their Ted Lasso characters, introduced Justin Bieber, who performed “Everything Hallelujah” with an acoustic guitar. Shakira and Burna Boy then sang their official World Cup anthem, “Dai Dai,” which was played before all 104 kickoffs during the tournament. Shakira, known for her World Cup songs like 2010’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” performed barefoot in a dress adorned with yellow and pink feathers, surrounded by similarly dressed dancers, including children.
Pre-Match and Closing Ceremonies
The pre-match closing ceremony featured performances by Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams, and Post Malone, alongside a motivational speech from Tom Cruise. British singer Robbie Williams, formerly of Take That, performed his FIFA anthem “Desire” in a bedazzled tracksuit. He was joined by Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and Italian singer Laura Pausini. Williams had released the song a year prior and a new version with the two women earlier in the week.
Streamer IShowSpeed opened the pre-match events with his World Cup-themed song “Champions.” Post Malone followed, performing a new song, “Chrome Heartbreaker,” and his 2018 duet “Sunflower” with Swae Lee on a hexagon-shaped stage. Tom Cruise, who also participated in the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony, delivered a speech, acknowledging the two remaining teams, España and Argentina, and celebrating the tournament’s global unity.
While most national anthems throughout the tournament were prerecorded, they were performed live during the closing ceremony. Jennifer Hudson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” a cappella, later joined by a brass band. Spanish Brass played Spain’s instrumental “La Marcha Real,” followed by Argentina’s “Himno Nacional Argentino,” sung by pop star María Becerra.
Halftime Show Production Details
The halftime show was curated by Coldplay singer Chris Martin and concluded with the PS22 Chorus of elementary-school students from Staten Island. They were backed by Gustavo Dudamel and joined by Martin, Shakira, and various Muppets and Sesame Street characters, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Count von Count, and Cookie Monster. Dudamel and approximately 40 musicians, with members from the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, were on the field, though their music was prerecorded at the Manhattan Center.
The show was produced by Global Citizen. Sources from the organization indicated that the artists did not receive a fee for their performances. FIFA has stated its Global Citizen Education Fund aims to raise $100 million to expand access to quality education and football opportunities for children globally. The performance occurred on the pitch, requiring the setup and dismantling of a stage before and after the event.
FIFA had previously stated the performance would be 11 minutes long and described it as a “landmark celebration at the intersection of sport, music and global impact.” The governing body is targeting a halftime duration of no longer than 20 minutes for the World Cup final. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules state that halftime should not exceed 15 minutes, and any alteration requires the referee’s permission. Extending this break is unusual and presents a unique challenge for players and coaches unaccustomed to longer intervals.
This marks the first time FIFA has held a halftime show at the World Cup, though a similar event took place during last summer’s Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. That performance, featuring Tems, J Balvin, and Doja Cat, lasted over 24 minutes and was staged high in the stands. In the Copa America final two years ago, Shakira performed during halftime, with Argentina and Colombia waiting approximately 26 minutes before the second half commenced.
The Super Bowl, known for its halftime shows, typically sees NFL players off the field for 20 to 30 minutes, while regular season NFL game intervals are strictly 13 minutes.
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Source: toronto.citynews.ca
