Madonna and Justin Bieber stormed the stage as they headlined the controversial first-ever FIFA halftime show during the 2026 World Cup Final on Sunday.
The futuristic segment began with Madonna, 67, singing her 2000 hit Music, accompanied by giddy Brazilian World Cup legends Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho.
The toned music legend showed off her legs in stockings as she embraced the soccer icons, before they drove her out into the stadium.
Justin Bieber, 32, made a starkly different impact on the crowd as he stepped out with nothing but a guitar to sing a World Cup themed version of his song, Everything Hallelujah.
The star looked relaxed as he casually walked onto the pitch before belting out his hit track, adding the final line, ‘it’s the World Cup, Hallelujah.’
Shakira returned to the World Cup stage as she flaunted her toned abs in a pink and yellow sequined bodysuit to perform her hit Dai Dai, with Burna Boy, while K-pop sensations BTS regaled the crowd with Dynamite.
Spain and Argentina were still 0-0 at halftime, with superstars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal forced to share the stage as soccer is given a slice of the Super Bowl treatment
Madonna stormed the stage as she headlined the controversial first-ever FIFA halftime show during the 2026 World Cup Final on Sunday
Justin Bieber made a starkly different impact on the crowd as he stepped out with nothing but a guitar to sing a World Cup themed version of his song Hallelujah
Shakira showed off her toned frame as she performed Dai Dai with Burna Boy
Billions of fans tuned into Sunday’s game as Messi and Co bid to secure a second successive World Cup triumph.
As well as a halftime show, the World Cup final also included a closing ceremony that featured performances and appearances from Post Malone, Cruise, Nicole Scherzinger, influencer IShowSpeed, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini.
Stars including Tom Cruise, Timothee Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Matt Damon and Adrien Brody joined the crowds for the final.
Spanish actor Javier Bardem, skiing legend Lindsey Vonn and actress Julia Garner were also in attendance for the FIFA Gold Carpet event ahead of the final.
Cruise’s specific role is unclear, with FIFA describing it only as a ‘special appearance.’ But soccer chiefs say the ceremony will pay tribute to all 48 nations from the tournament.
World Cup final day got off to a chaotic start at MetLife Stadium with fans forced to wait for hours outside of the venue amid reports of technological glitches scanning tickets and security staff unsure of how to manage the crowds.
Organizers this week urged fans lucky enough to have a ticket to arrive up to four hours before the start of the game at the 80,000-seater stadium in New Jersey, a short drive outside of Manhattan, for Sunday’s showdown between Spain and Argentina.
As the build-up to the game expected to be watched by billions around the world ramped up, fans were waiting for over four hours to have their tickets scanned in order to enter the stadium for the showpiece game.
The attendance of President Donald Trump meant that airport-style security measures were also being enforced for everyone making their way inside of the venue.
But the delays were compounded amid reports of glitches in FIFA’s ticket-scanning system, meaning those who were fortunate enough to be at the front of the long lines still faced frustrating delays.
The futuristic segment began with Madonna, 67, singing Music, accompanied by giddy World Cup legends Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho
The toned music legend showed off her legs in stockings as she embraced the soccer icons, before they drove her out into the stadium
The star looked incredible as she commanded the stage
K-pop sensations BTS regaled the crowd with Dynamite
BTS captivated the crowds as they continued their return to the stage after mandatory military training
The stadium was lit up with a colorful globe and the world LOVE
Tom Cruise flashed a giddy grin as he sauntered through the stadium ahead of his special appearance at the closing ceremony
Matt Damon and Argentinian wife Luciana Barroso looked giddy as they arrived
Thousands of fans and media members faced massive lines to enter the stadium for the World Cup final on Sunday amid several reports of security struggling to manage the situation
Will Ferrell was in attendance for the huge match
Javier Bardem was supporting his home country as he attended the FIFA Gold Carpet before the final
Julia Garner was in attendance to support close pal Madonna ahead of her halftime show
Lindsey Vonn looked stylish as she posed up ahead of the game
Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario attended with wife Celina Locks
England icon John Terry and Argentina legend Diego Simeone were in attendance
Daily Mail also witnessed tensions simmering between fans, media members and security staff, with officials on the ground telling anyone who complained: ‘Take it up with FIFA’.
The game is set to be the most expensive to attend in the history of sport – on Sunday morning, the cheapest ticket available on most resale websites was starting at around $7,000.
FIFA encouraged fans to arrive early in order to participate in the World Cup closing ceremony, scheduled to begin around 90 minutes before the game itself kicks off.
But it is standard procedure for fans to arrive early for additional security checks whenever Trump attends a sporting event – and he has made it to plenty in his second term as President, ranging from the Ryder Cup to the Super Bowl.
Post Malone performed ahead of the final
Cruise kept his look casual in a black tee and jeans as he posed for selfies with queuing fans, while flanked by bodyguards
The star looked excited ahead of the final
Jon Hamm arrived at MetLife ahead of the ceremony
Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini performed Desire
The actor will be sure to mingle with his close friends David and Victoria Beckham , who have been fixtures at the tournament, as well as Argentina legend Lionel Messi , who is playing in his second consecutive World Cup final
Extra security checks were in place ahead of the attendance of President Trump for the game
Man of the hour and Argentina captain Lionel Messi winked at fans as he arrived for the final
Even on the live television coverage, the stadium was bare with a little over an hour until that closing ceremony began.
Soccer greats such as Brazil World Cup winner Ronaldo, former England captain John Terry and former Argentina player Diego Simeone all appeared carefree as they entered the stadium in good time before the game.
There were plenty of fans who were determined not to let the chaos ruin their day, too. Thousands of Argentina fans have made the journey to the stadium for what will likely be star man Lionel Messi’s last ever appearance in a World Cup at the age of 39.
Argentina are narrow underdogs against Spain, the European champions, despite being the holders after winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Trump is expected to hand the World Cup trophy over to the winning team after the game.
