World Cup final stages first halftime show

FIFA staged the World Cup final’s first halftime show Sunday, bringing Madonna, BTS, Shakira, Justin Bieber and other global performers onto the field at New York New Jersey Stadium as Argentina and Spain were tied 0-0 at the break.

The production featured musicians and entertainers from several continents and marked a new addition to the tournament’s championship match. The BBC reported the halftime ran 27 minutes and 22 seconds, making it the longest in World Cup history. NPR described the on-field spectacle as an 11-minute show.

Madonna opened the halftime performance, appearing in a roller rink-style setup and telling the audience that “music brings the people together,” according to NPR. The BBC reported she sang her hit “Music” after seeming to emerge from tunnels under the arena. NPR said she rode in a dune buggy driven by Brazilian football greats Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

The lineup included Justin Bieber and Madonna from North America; BTS from Asia; Shakira and conductor Gustavo Dudamel from South America; Burna Boy from Africa; Coldplay, fronted by Chris Martin, from Europe; and Iraq-born Australian singer Emmanuel Kelly, NPR reported. The BBC also reported performances by Nigerian musician Burna Boy, Colombian pop star Shakira, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, Italian singer Laura Pausini and Post Malone, who performed “Wow.”

Shakira and Burna Boy reunited after performing together at the tournament’s opening ceremony in Mexico City last month, the BBC reported. NPR said Burna Boy had duetted with Shakira on this year’s official World Cup song. Shakira also performed with the Ghetto Kids, the viral dance troupe from Kampala, Uganda, according to NPR.

BTS’s appearance came as the K-pop group has been making its comeback from a three-year music hiatus while members completed mandatory military service in South Korea, the BBC reported.

Other performers and guests broadened the show beyond pop music. NPR reported that Dudamel led musicians from the New York Philharmonic, where he is set to become artistic and music director in September, and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. The Muppets, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal, Janice and Floyd Pepper, appeared, and children from Staten Island’s PS22 Chorus closed the show singing with Martin. Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, appearing as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard, introduced Bieber, NPR reported.

The halftime show promoted the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million to expand education and soccer access for children worldwide, NPR reported.

The match festivities began before kickoff with a closing ceremony. Streamer IShowSpeed entered the field first with drummers and dancers in bright tracksuits, the BBC reported. Jennifer Hudson performed the U.S. national anthem with a live band, and actor Tom Cruise addressed the crowd before introducing the match.

“From every corner of the globe, we have witnessed greatness, and we have shared in moments of joy,” Cruise said, according to the BBC. “Football is a language spoken without words, a force that unites people.”

Celebrities in attendance included Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet, Beyonce and Jay-Z, and Melania Trump and President Trump, according to the reports.

Reaction was not universally positive. Former England player Wayne Rooney, working on the BBC commentary team, said: “I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap.” Pausini told the BBC she had goosebumps when Williams invited her to sing alongside him.