Overview
- The World Cup final halftime at MetLife Stadium featured Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, Shakira and Coldplay/Chris Martin in the tournament’s first large-scale, NFL-style halftime spectacle.
- Organizers extended the usual 15-minute break to about 27 minutes and 20 seconds to accommodate the mixed live and pre-produced performance elements.
- Reporting and broadcast commentary noted that parts of the show used pre-recorded or virtual segments while BTS and Justin Bieber were widely described as among the only performers who appeared to sing live.
- Immediate reaction was sharply negative across social media and punditry, with some former players and commentators calling the show inappropriate for a World Cup final and many fans saying it interrupted the sporting experience.
- Tabloid outlets published unverified claims of a backstage dispute between Madonna and Justin Bieber, and producers said the event was staged as a Global Citizen humanitarian effort with artists reportedly unpaid.