The World Cup's inaugural halftime show took place on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, located just outside of New York. The performance featured a star-studded lineup including Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, and Shakira, each offering a snippet of one of their iconic hits in a lively 11-minute showcase. This high-energy performance aimed to capture the dynamic spirit of a Super Bowl halftime show, but with multiple artists participating rather than a single headliner.
Madonna kicked off the show performing her 2000 hit “Music,” in the company of legendary Brazilian soccer players Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The segment began with a prerecorded introduction featuring a roller rink theme, paving the way for Madonna's entrance via a dune buggy, as she sang, "Music, makes the people come together."
Following her, Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan conductor, led an orchestra in a rendition of The White Stripes’ anthem, “Seven Nation Army.” The Muppets’ house band, including the iconic drummer Animal, added a playful backdrop to the proceedings.
K-pop phenomenon BTS later graced the field, donning striking red and black outfits as they performed “Dynamite,” which was accompanied by an homage to Norwegian's Viking row. Shortly after, comedy series “Ted Lasso” stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt appeared in character to energize Justin Bieber, who shifted the mood with his acoustic performance of “Everything Hallelujah.”
Shakira, alongside Burna Boy, then took the stage with their official World Cup anthem “Dai Dai,” which will be featured in the lead-up to all 104 tournament kickoffs. Shakira, barefoot and adorned in a flamboyant dress made of yellow and pink feathers, was surrounded by dancers and a group of children as she led the upbeat performance, which includes an Italian version of “Let’s go!” in its refrain.
Shakira has become synonymous with World Cup music, having previously released hits like 2010’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” The halftime show concluded with the PS22 Chorus, a group of school children from Staten Island, performing alongside Dudamel, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Shakira, and various Muppets and “Sesame Street” characters such as Kermit, Miss Piggy, Count von Count, and Cookie Monster. Although the musicians performed live, their music was actually pre-recorded earlier in the week at the Manhattan Center.
The closing ceremony was also filled with notable performances. Jennifer Hudson and British singer Robbie Williams kicked off the festivities, followed by Post Malone and a motivational speech from Tom Cruise.
Robbie Williams performed his FIFA anthem "Desire" while dressed in a sparkling blue tracksuit, accompanied by Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and Italian singer Laura Pausini. Williams had just released a new version of the song featuring the two female artists. IShowSpeed was the first performer, delivering his World Cup-themed song "Champions" from atop a visual representation of the Empire State Building. This was followed by Post Malone, who sang his latest track, "Chrome Heartbreaker," and their collaborative hit "Sunflower" with Swae Lee.
Tom Cruise, who also participated in the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, addressed the audience in a casual polo shirt and jeans. He enthusiastically declared, “Today only two teams remain: España!” followed by cheers from the crowd for “Argentina!” He presented a warm reflection on the tournament's ability to unite people around the world.
In a departure from the usual format, the national anthems that typically play during the tournament were performed live. Jennifer Hudson kicked things off with a powerful rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," dressed in a white suit adorned with red, white, and blue accents. Following her, Spain's national anthem, “La Marcha Real,” was performed by a brass band, and Argentine pop star María Becerra concluded the ceremony with “Himno Nacional Argentino,” wearing a billowing dress reminiscent of the Argentine flag.
