World Cup final features first-ever halftime show with star-studded performances
Inaugural Halftime Extravaganza
The FIFA World Cup final this year included an eleven-minute halftime show, a first for the tournament. The event featured a lineup of performers including Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS. Chris Martin of Coldplay curated the show, which was produced in part by his anti-poverty platform, Global Citizen. Martin stated that the show was an opportunity to highlight the diversity of humanity.
The show commenced with Madonna performing her 2000 hit, “Music.” She was accompanied by Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, who rode with her in a dune buggy onto the field. Madonna wore a pink-and-lavender corset ensemble, fingerless gloves, a silver whistle, knee-high purple boots, and sunglasses. Her performance began with a prerecorded segment in a roller rink before she made her entrance into the stadium.
Following Madonna, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, a band composed of Muppets, performed alongside the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel led the orchestras in an instrumental version of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Animal, the drummer for the Muppets’ band, was noted for his energetic performance.
Diverse Acts and Unexpected Moments
K-pop group BTS then took the stage, performing their first English-language song, “Dynamite.” Their performance was preceded by a nod to Norway’s Viking row. Justin Bieber was introduced by Jason Sudeikis, appearing in character as fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso. Bieber performed “Everything Hallelujah,” an acoustic song about gratitude. His serious and restrained performance was noted as an unexpected choice for the large arena setting.
Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy performed “Dai Dai,” the official World Cup anthem for this year. Shakira, who was barefoot and wore a dress of yellow and pink feathers, was joined by dancers, including a children’s group. Burna Boy joined her in the song, which features an Italian refrain meaning “Let’s go!” Shakira has previously performed other World Cup songs, including 2010’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).”
The show concluded with the P.S. 22 Chorus of elementary school students from Staten Island. They sang “We Dance,” a new song by Coldplay, while rainbow-colored smoke filled the stadium. The field was covered with a tarp displaying the word “LOVE,” and digital banners promoted believeinlove.org. Chris Martin, Shakira, and several Muppets and Sesame Street characters, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Count von Count, and Cookie Monster, joined the chorus for the finale.
Fan Reception and Broader Implications
The introduction of a halftime show for the World Cup final generated discussion among fans. The event extended the traditional halftime period, which typically does not exceed fifteen minutes according to the Laws of the Game. In 2021, the International Football Association Board rejected a proposal to extend halftime to twenty-five minutes, citing potential negative impacts on player welfare due to prolonged inactivity.
Some purists viewed the event as part of the “Americanization” of soccer, a term often used pejoratively. The show drew comparisons to the Super Bowl halftime show, known for its elaborate and star-studded performances. The World Cup show, held at what is also known as MetLife Stadium outside New York, aimed to bring a similar atmosphere to the soccer final.
The eleven-minute performance was packed with multiple headliners, each performing for approximately two minutes. This contrasted with the typical Super Bowl show, which often features a single headliner over a thirteen-minute period. The event’s underlying premise, as articulated by Madonna, was that music and celebrity could serve as a cross-cultural means to bridge ideological divides.
The show was part of a larger day of events that included a pre-match closing ceremony. This ceremony featured performances by artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams, and Post Malone. Tom Cruise also delivered a speech during the pre-match festivities, celebrating the tournament’s ability to unite the world. The national anthems, which were piped in during most of the tournament, were performed live on Sunday, with Jennifer Hudson singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and María Becerra performing Argentina’s “Himno Nacional Argentino.”
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Source: newyorker.com
