At the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, FIFA made waves when they introduced a halftime entertainment show for American audiences that sought to replicate Super Bowl halftime traditions with grand musical spectacles during breaks between matches. While attendance and revenue growth at this year’s final remain impressive compared to prior editions, not everyone was satisfied with what transpired during halftime; critics included soccer legend Wayne Rooney.
Rooney expressed his thoughts candidly when interviewed on BBC Sports: “To be completely honest when the halftime show finished… although I enjoy many of its artists and felt their performances were good enough, but overall it was horrible!” Micah Richards in studio agreed with Rooney’s assessment and described its halftime segment as being miserable.
Unlike American football fans who are used to elaborate halftime shows, this format was a new experience for global soccer enthusiasts. The show featured performances curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and headlined by artists such as Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira alongside Burna Boy, and K-Pop group BTS. The entertainment extended over 27 minutes, including surprise appearances from the Muppets, massive set changes, and fireworks.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter questioned the choice to incorporate a halftime show, remarking on the extended break as potentially the longest in football history and questioning FIFA’s direction in mirroring the Super Bowl’s approach.
For viewers, the show sometimes felt disorganized. It began with a pre-recorded segment featuring Madonna riding a jeep through tunnels beneath the stadium with Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. This lengthy introduction raised questions about whether Madonna would appear live on stage. She did eventually make a brief appearance after performing her song “Music,” quickly moving the spotlight to Gustavo Dudamel and the Muppets.
BTS delivered “Dynamite,” with football-inspired lyrics for just under two minutes before Jason Sudeikis made an unexpected but humorous cameo as Ted Lasso to coach Justin Bieber. Bieber then took to the stage alone with an acoustic guitar for an unplugged rendition of “Everything Hallelujah,” from his album Swag II without band or backtrack support; before Jennifer Hudson performed the national anthem which itself caused some criticism among attendees.
Although FIFA president Gianni Infantino acknowledged some negative reaction, he stood up in defense of this event, calling it an unprecedented spectacle that will leave a legacy that outlives just this one game.