The first halftime show for FIFA has just taken place, and it was as glorious as the fans had expected. Previously, this trend of halftime show was limited only to the NFL and NBA, and now, it is officially a part of FIFA as well, with an American style. The line-up for this short, star-studded performance included some of the biggest names, including Shakira, Justin Bieber, Madonna, BTS, and others who captivated the stadium full of people.
Madonna with the Football Legends
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The show kicked off with Pop Queen Madonna, who started performing in a tunnel and was then escorted to the field in a dune buggy, which was driven by Brazilian football legend Ronaldo and Ronaldinho as co-driver. The performance was further enticed by the beautiful performers in their skate boots who kept the energy intact. Madonna’s choice of song for the performance was also iconic as she sang ‘’Music’ a 2000 dance-pop creation which was further blended with ‘Disco Inferno’ in the background for added energy. It can be called ‘Music Inferno’ according to the pop queen. Both Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were beaming with their presence.
It was followed by a high-octane orchestral rock creation of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by the White Stripes, which was played by Animal, of The Muppets fame, along with revered Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel. It was too much to take in, but apparently, the fever dream was true.
BTS ‘Dynamite’ Energy
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After the bizarrely beautiful performance by The Muppets, it was time for South Korean boy band BTS to take over the field, and the ARMY was more than happy. They maintained a color code of Red, White, and Black and performed ‘Dynamite’ with more air-kicks than Argentina offered in the first half. Their immaculate energy and dance moves, along with background dancers, were perfect with room for error. They also adjusted the lyrics from “King Kong, kick the ball” and “Iced tea and a game of football,” which is a nice little touch by the band.
Justin Bieber with Ted Lasso’s Coaching
With so much energy, what the show was lacking was some warmth and emotions that can soothe the heart. For such moments, what could be better than Ted Lasso’s coaching that motivates Justin Bieber to perform with his heart? This was definitely a nice little addition to the half-time show, as Ted Lasso is also a fictional character from the namesake show that inspired a lot of people. In the show, Ted is a coach for an English Football team, and he is a coach for life rather than sports.
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Justin Bieber on the other hand is globally famous from the age of 15 years with his massive hit ‘Baby’ and then many pop projects in the later years like ‘Sorry,’ ‘Stay’ ‘Where Are U Now,”Love Yourself’ and many others. However, he chose not to do any of those tracks, as this platform also offers a fine opportunity for promotion. He sang a recent track, ‘Everything Hallelujah,’ with a solo acoustic performance and also added the essence of FIFA by weaving ‘World Cup Hallelujah’ at the end.
Shakira and Burna Boy
After JB’s ballad, it was time for Shakira to add some breezy Latin flavors, and it was further enhanced by the Ampiano and Afro style of Buna Boy. It goes without saying that Shakira almost feels like an official ambassador for FIFA with her deep involvement with each World Cup. Mrs World Cup has offered a beautiful rendition of the official 2026 FIFA song ‘Dai Dai’ along with Burna Boy, and the global fans have been waiting for it.
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There is something about Shakira that always makes her performances grounded, humble, and uniting everyone. A similar energy was felt through the performance where the singer cum dancer wore no shoes and the bare-foot energy perfectly suited the vibe for ‘Football’. With kids and women performing along wide, ‘Dai Dai’ offered the beat and energy that everyone from the stadium could groove with. The performance quickly transitioned to the video footage of a late football legend embracing ‘love,’ and that offered the perfect intro to the next performance.
Coldplay and P22’s Chorus
It was a deeply emotional moment when Miss Piggy and Kermit looked at each other in the eyes and sang ‘Believe in Love’, a brand new song by Coldplay. This song was made by the band with the help of Webby Award-winning PS22 Chorus, which was formed by elementary-school students from Staten Island. The kids in the colorful jerseys started singing the chorus for the song, and the vibration of the united voice was felt in the hearts of the audience. They were soon joined by Shakira, while the bird eye shows an earth as the ‘o’ in love, embracing humanity and loving everyone. Not only Shakira, but Burna Boy, BTS, Justin Bieber, as well as Ronaldo and Ronaldinho also joined them to jump and dance around.
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Chris Martin, the main man from Coldplay, could also be seen among everyone singing “believe in love,” and the song meandered around every corner of the stadium. The show lasted only a little longer than 11 minutes and offered the perfect climax with some fireworks and colors. The halftime show is curated by Chris Martin and he seemed to do a good job in keeping it brief and impactful.
The FIFA World Cup will take place again in four years, and the fans will be eagerly waiting for it. What makes this year’s global event more memorable is the first half-time show that ever took place in the history of football. It is not certain whether FIFA will conduct half-time shows again, as America will not be the host for the next World Cup. However, football fans do not mind such a beautiful and energetic musical addition.
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