New York area hosts first World Cup halftime show with star-studded performances
Halftime spectacle features global artists
The FIFA World Cup final this year marked a new chapter in the tournament’s history by featuring an eleven-minute halftime show. This inaugural event, held at what is also known as MetLife Stadium, showcased a lineup of international music stars. The performances included Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS, alongside other notable acts.
The show’s curation was led by Chris Martin of Coldplay, whose anti-poverty platform, Global Citizen, helped produce the event. Martin expressed that the show was an opportunity to highlight the diversity of human talent. The lineup aimed to represent the host nations, though the artists primarily performed within Western pop traditions.
Madonna opened the halftime show, performing her 2000 hit “Music.” She was joined by Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Her segment began with a pre-recorded sequence in a roller rink before she made her entrance into the stadium in a dune buggy. Madonna’s attire included a pink-and-lavender corset ensemble, fingerless gloves, a silver whistle, and knee-high purple boots.
Following Madonna, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, a band composed of Muppets, performed. They were accompanied by the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Together, they delivered an instrumental rendition of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”
The K-pop group BTS then took the stage, performing their English-language song “Dynamite.” This was followed by Justin Bieber, who was introduced by Jason Sudeikis in his role as the fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso. Bieber performed “Everything Hallelujah,” an acoustic ballad.
Shakira, performing barefoot, and Nigerian singer Burna Boy presented a joyful version of “Dai Dai,” which served as this year’s World Cup anthem. The performance concluded with a children’s chorus from P.S. 22 in Staten Island singing a new Coldplay song, “We Dance,” as rainbow-colored smoke filled the stadium edges. Digital banners displayed believeinlove.org.
Pre-match and closing ceremonies also feature stars
The World Cup final also featured a pre-match closing ceremony with various performers. Jennifer Hudson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” a cappella, backed by a brass band. Spanish Brass performed Spain’s instrumental “La Marcha Real,” while Argentine pop star María Becerra sang Argentina’s “Himno Nacional Argentino.”
British singer Robbie Williams performed his FIFA anthem “Desire,” joined by Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini. Streamer IShowSpeed performed his World Cup-themed song “Champions.” Post Malone also performed a new song, “Chrome Heartbreaker,” and his 2018 duet “Sunflower” with Swae Lee.
Actor Tom Cruise delivered a speech, celebrating the tournament for bringing the world together. He acknowledged the two remaining teams, España and Argentina. Many celebrities were in attendance at the game, including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, and Matt Damon with his wife, Luciana Barroso Damon.
Fan reactions and historical context
The introduction of a halftime show for the World Cup final elicited mixed reactions from fans. Some expressed vexation, viewing it as a departure from tradition. The event extended the halftime period beyond the historically permitted fifteen minutes, a duration that the International Football Association Board had previously upheld against proposals for longer intervals, citing concerns for player welfare.
Purists suggested that the halftime show represented an “Americanization” of soccer, drawing parallels to the Super Bowl halftime show. While some acknowledged the spectacle, others found the event unsettling due to its perceived “too-much-ness.” The show’s premise, as articulated by Madonna, was that music could unite people, a theme echoed by Chris Martin’s focus on love through his work with Coldplay in recent years.
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Source: newyorker.com
