Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira Join Forces for Blink-and-You’ll-Miss-‘Em Moments in a Cluster-FIFA of a Halftime Show
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- Madonna opened the halftime show via a pre-taped jeep ride through stadium tunnels with passengers identified as "Ronaldinho and Ronaldowere," then appeared live just long enough to perform "Music" and strike a pose before the two-minute mark
- Gustavo Dudamel, described as the outgoing LA Phil conductor, led string sections from New York and Venezuela backing a Muppet band's rendition of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," with no Jack White appearance
- BTS performed "Dynamite" for roughly one minute and 40 seconds with altered football lyrics before being succeeded by an unbilled Jason Sudeikis reprising Ted Lasso, who coached Justin Bieber onto the field for a solo acoustic take of "Everything Hallelujah"
- Shakira was positioned as the de facto headliner, joining Burna Boy for "Dai Dai," the FIFA anthem; Chris Martin, who curated the show, then joined the Muppets and the PS22 Chorus for the closing number with about 90 seconds left
- Post Malone got a comparatively generous opening-ceremony slot, performing three numbers including a partial "Chrome Heartbreaker" teasing his upcoming "Eternal Buzz" album, while ISHowSpeed reprised his 2022 "World Cup" anthem
- Jennifer Hudson delivered the U.S. national anthem live, providing what the review calls "the day's most honest jolt of genuine, un-lip-synched lung power," while Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini performed official FIFA theme "Desire"
Why it matters: The halftime show's structure — eight A-list acts crammed into 11 minutes — meant no performer got more than about two minutes of live stage time, effectively turning a marquee entertainment moment into a cameo parade. The decision to include puppets instead of Jack White for the biggest riff in the segment, plus an unbilled Ted Lasso cameo, signals FIFA prioritized volume of celebrity names over substantive performance, undercutting the artists' billing.
