The first ever halftime show at a Fifa World Cup final has divided the internet, for sure.
The eclectic medley of performances was opened by Madonna, who sang her 2000 hit “Music” while accompanied by Brazilian football legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, who won the World Cup together in 2002.
That was followed by The Muppets and Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel performing a version of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”, K-pop boy band BTS doing their 2020 single “Dynamite”, cameo appearances from Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso and Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, Justin Bieber singing an acoustic version of 2025 single “Everything Hallelujah”, Shakira and Burna Boy’s World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” and finally Coldplay accompanied by a child choir.
In total, the half-time break lasted 27 minutes and 19 seconds, delaying the restart of the match between Argentina and Spain and leaving many fans fuming. In the laws of the game, governed by IFAB (the International Football Association Board), it states half-time breaks should “not exceed 15 minutes”.
One of many X users who criticized the show posted a The Godfather meme and wrote: “Halftime show at World Cup final. Look how they massacred my beautiful game,” mimicking what Don Corleone says after his eldest, Sonny, is gunned down in a hail of bullets.
Oasis singer Liam Gallagher was among those weighing in, writing: “It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge.”
Others argued that the show would be detrimental to the players, with one user writing: “The players should have not tolerate that. It’s the biggest game of most of their careers and they should not be bending their routines around half-hour half-time shows.”
However, some viewers were left impressed by the spectacle. One wrote: “Didn’t even know there was a World Cup halftime show and it’s better than any Super Bowl halftime show I’ve ever seen.”
Meanwhile, some took the opportunity to poke fun at certain players, with one observing: “Madonna with more World Cup Final appearances than Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Former England player Wayne Rooney described the show as “crap” on the BBC’s coverage, while Gary Neville said he “enjoyed it,” with ITV Sport colleague Wright claiming that Burna Boy “saved it” with his performance alongside Shakira.
But Roy Keane was also underwhelmed: “It was a bit of an anti-climax, but listen, it’s so nice to see Shakira.”
The half-time show has created controversy for Fifa, who have shifted the structure of the sport during the tournament, including hydration breaks to divide each half into two intervals, much like American sports.
