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The first-ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final transformed the break between Spain and Argentina into a Super Bowl-style music spectacle.
FIFA brought some of the biggest names in international music to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, extending the interval to nearly 30 minutes to accommodate the unprecedented production.
Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the show featured Shakira performing the tournament’s official anthem, “Dai Dai”. Madonna, BTS and Justin Bieber also took to the stage, with Bieber adapting the lyrics of his song “Everything Hallelujah” to include the line: “It’s the World Cup, hallelujah.”
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel also appeared alongside the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, marking a rare inclusion of classical music in a show of this kind.
The production required an extensive pitch set-up and extended the half-time break well beyond the usual 15 minutes, following the model of major US sporting events.
While the International Football Association Board (IFAB) advises against intervals of that length, the World Cup’s competition regulations allowed organisers to extend the break to stage the performances, dismantle the set and prepare the pitch before play resumed.
Beyond the entertainment, FIFA said the show formed part of its partnership with Global Citizen to raise funds for education projects around the world.
The final, played in front of a capacity crowd with ticket prices reaching as much as €35,000, underscored FIFA’s ambition to turn football’s biggest match into a global entertainment spectacle aimed at attracting new audiences.