World Cup's First-Ever Halftime Show Brings Madonna, BTS and Bieber to the Pitch
A Chris Martin-curated lineup turned the championship break into a global concert, though the show drew mixed reviews
FIFA staged its first-ever World Cup final halftime show on Sunday, turning the break between Spain and Argentina into a star-studded concert curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, according to Fox News and NPR.
The lineup featured Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy and Shakira, who performed during the extended intermission at the New York-New Jersey stadium. Fox News reported the performances drew mixed reactions from viewers and fans in the stands.
President Donald Trump attended the final and was present for the halftime performance, a detail NPR said gave the spectacle a political undercurrent it might not otherwise have carried. The network described the show as an all-superstar lineup unfolding in front of a sitting president, a first for the tournament's history.
The concert marked FIFA's latest push to turn the World Cup final into a broader entertainment event beyond the match itself, following the model of the Super Bowl halftime show. Whether the format returns for future tournaments was not addressed in the reporting, but Sunday's show set a new bar for scale, with performers spanning genres from Latin pop to K-pop to Afrobeats sharing the same stage.
Reaction on social media and among fans in attendance was split, Fox News said, with some praising the star wattage and others questioning whether the show fit the occasion.
— Compiled from reporting by NPR and Fox News.