The bizarre and eclectic show also featured surprise appearances from The Muppets, Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso and Brazilian icons Ronaldinho and Ronaldo

The first World Cup final halftime show brought together some of the biggest names in music, with BTS, Justin Bieber, Madonna and Shakira -- but how did we rate them?

Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira all got two minutes or less of screen time each in the FIFA World Cup Final's very crowded halftime show.

"The expected viewing figures on Sunday are going to be enormous, like probably the most viewed match of all time," Guy Carrington says.

YouTube video by FIFA

YouTube video by KOREA NOW

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show featured a star-studded lineup of global music icons, including Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Shakira, as part of FIFA's effort to create a Super Bowl-style spectacle. ESPN provided a detailed rating of each performer's contribution to the event. Madonna opened the show with a high-energy performance of her 2000 hit 'Music,' accompanied by a whimsical stage setup involving a dune buggy driven by Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Her rendition of 'Disco Inferno' added to the nostalgic flair, earning a perfect 10/10. BTS delivered a flawless performance of 'Dynamite,' blending their signature choreography with energetic dance routines, though they were slightly under-rated at 8/10. Justin Bieber's set included a mix of hits like 'Everything Hallelujah' and a surprise 'World Cup Hallelujah' finale, but his performance was deemed average at 6/10. Shakira and Burna Boy collaborated on the official 2026 World Cup anthem 'Dai Dai,' showcasing their vocal prowess despite a minor deduction for not wearing shoes. The closing act featured Coldplay and the PS22 Chorus, delivering a heartfelt rendition of 'Believe in Love' that resonated with fans. The show, while ambitious, highlighted the cultural significance of music in global sports events and left a lasting impression on viewers.

Wayne Rooney has publicly criticised FIFA's first-ever World Cup halftime show, calling it a 'disaster' and claiming the 'best part was when it ended'. The event, which featured performances by Madonna, Justin Bieber, and Shakira, sparked divided opinions among fans and celebrities. While some, like Justin Bieber, received praise for his performance, others, including Rooney, found the spectacle chaotic and unnecessary. The incident occurred during the highly anticipated Spain vs Argentina final, with tensions heightened by the match's significance as a potential farewell for Argentina's Lionel Messi. Celebrities such as David Beckham, Dua Lipa, and Mick Jagger were also present, adding to the event's cultural weight. Despite the backlash, FIFA defended the decision to introduce the halftime show as a way to enhance the viewing experience. The controversy highlights the growing debate over the role of entertainment in major sporting events and the challenges of balancing creativity with audience expectations. Rooney's comments reflect a broader sentiment among fans who felt the show disrupted the focus on the match itself.

FIFA’s first World Cup halftime show will air live during Sunday’s Spain-Argentina final.

If there's one thing America knows how to do, it's put on a big spectacle. Here's everything to know about the World Cup final.

Hear the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show featuring Shakira, Madonna, BTS, and Justin Bieber live on SiriusXM and the SiriusXM app.

Shakira teased her World Cup Final Halftime Show with BTS, Justin Bieber and Madonna in a new video interview.

While Bad Bunny may have pushed the boundaries of acceptable content in his lyrics for TV, it remains up for debate whether he actually crossed them.

Only someone living under a rock or in House Speaker _Mike Johnson’s_ 1950s fantasy America, doesn’t know that the _Super Bowl halftime_show is one of the most anticipated performances of the year. It’s not just about football. It's a pop culture phenomenon and capitalism rolled into just 15 minutes. Even people who don’t know the difference between an extra point and a field goal tune in for the music, the costumes, the surprise guests, and, inevitably, the flood of social media that explodes before, during and after the performance.. The halftime show is also a gold mine. Apple reportedly pays around _$50 million a yea_r for sponsorship rights. It’s a cash cow that depends on a single question, and that is, who will draw the biggest audience? The artist has to be massive, commercially, culturally, and even globally. It’s an honor reserved for the most relevant performer of the moment. **Related:** _10 of the Weirdest, Wildest Super Bowl Halftime Shows_ That wasn’t always the case. The very _first Super Bowl_ halftime show, back in 1967, was produced by Tommy Walker and featured trumpeter Al Hirt, marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling College, the Ana-Hi-Steppers, 300 pigeons, 10,000 balloons, and a flying demonstration by something called the Bell Rocket Air Men. I guess the _Beatles_ were busy, and kudos to the stadium crew for cleaning up after 300 pigeons. For years, halftime was what you might call a very family-friendly parade of marching bands and flag twirlers, and pigeons I suppose. But then came _Up With People_, a group that felt like a cross between a church choir and a bar sing-along. Does anyone else remember them? They popped up at four Super Bowls in the 1970s and ’80s with their squeaky-clean optimism and oh, too eager smiles. Then in the 1990s, the NFL realized that the game was becoming TV’s biggest event, so there was room to make some money. It’s always about the money. So the league _went after pop stardom_. New Kids on the Block, Gloria Estefan, Michael Jackson, and the Blues Brothers took the stage. In 2004, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake gave us the infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” and the halftime show entered the modern age of cultural touchstone and must-see TV. **Related:**_Forget the Super Bowl, It's Janet Jackson Appreciation Day_ Which brings us to today, where performing at the Super Bowl is arguably the most coveted invitation in entertainment. This year’s choice, and rightfully so, is _Bad Bunny_. He makes perfect sense. He’s one of the biggest global music stars alive, a streaming powerhouse, and a boundary-breaking performer who brings together fans across languages, borders, and identities. Of course, that didn’t sit well _with the far right_, who were collectively and ridiculously outraged. Conservatives erupted, aghast at the idea of a Puerto Rican megastar headlining America’s biggest sports event. And now along comes America’s cultural arbiter and hippest politician (and yes, I’m being sarcastic), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who decided to weigh in on pop culture like he’s guest-editing __Billboard__. Johnson, ever eager to show how wildly out of touch he is, said that instead of Bad Bunny, “ _a terrible decision_,” the NFL should choose someone with a “broader audience.” So he suggested Lee Greenwood. Yes, that bellwether of hipness, _Lee Greenwood_. The soon-to-be 83-year-old singer whose best-known song, “God Bless the USA,” has been the background music for Republican conventions, political rallies, and every “Real America” (read: conservative) cause since the _Reagan years_. Greenwood’s first hit song, “ _It Turns Me Inside Out_,” was released in 1981, Ronald Reagan’s first year in office. The Super Bowl was played that year five days after Reagan was sworn in, and the halftime act was the Southern University Marching Band. I think Greenwood may have had a shot at that halftime show, but in 2026, he’s an odd fit to say the least. Johnson, who loves to preach about _women’s roles_, _pornography_, and the eternal damnation awaiting anyone who has gay sex (he loves to talk about gay sex), has now taken his crusade to the Super Bowl stage. **Related:** _Speaker Mike Johnson’s Obsession With Gay Sex_ Like a town crier, he’s sending out his culture-war message in Morse code from a horse and buggy, trumpeting that what America really needs is less Bad Bunny and more 1980s patriotism. Greenwood, for his part, was of course _flattered by Johnson’s_endorsement, which is fair. But Johnson’s reasoning is revealing. When he says “broader audience,” he means only _MAGA_. And in that narrow world, the musical choices are limited to Greenwood, Kid Rock, or Ted Nugent. It’s less “halftime show” and more a Newsmax interlude. Imagine, just for a moment, the NFL replacing Bad Bunny with Greenwood. Everything that makes the halftime show exciting, the cultural relevance, the excitement, the billions of views, would vanish. No one is logging on to Threads to live-post “God Bless the USA.” Perhaps the only audience Greenwood would get are those who have an analog TV with rabbit ears. The suggestion doesn’t just highlight Johnson’s cluelessness, it smacks at something darker. Wanting to replace a Puerto Rican artist with an elderly white man from Tennessee is the same racism and xenophobia that animates so much of the far right. Like many of his colleagues, Johnson probably needs a refresher that Puerto Rico is part of the United States. And honestly, it’s unfair to Greenwood. He’s become a pawn in Johnson’s ongoing culture war, a symbol of an America that only exists in conservative nostalgia. This isn’t a comparison of apples and oranges. It’s a comparison of an EV to a horse and buggy. So, what will the conservatives do? Turning Point USA said it would hold its very own show, “ _The All American Halftime Show_,” which will surely consist of all white straight males and religious fanatics who say they are Christian but would rather give money to some alternative halftime show than to the poor. What a pathetic thing to do. I hope it bombs, and I think it will. **Related** : _Bishop William Barber: Ignoring the poor means ignoring the Jesus factor and defying Christianity_ If the NFL or Apple were to actually take Johnson’s advice, it would be business suicide. The league is desperate to _attract younger audiences_, and the idea that it would replace one of the world’s hottest artists with an octogenarian country singer for the sake of “patriotism” is laughable. Imagine Apple shelling out $50 million to sponsor Lee Greenwood. That’d be like trying to sell a Macintosh from 1984. Bad Bunny will take the stage in February at Levi’s Stadium, and he’ll be fantastic, because he truly does represent what the halftime show and the country actually look like today — young, diverse, global, and unbothered by what the far right deems acceptable.. And who knows? Maybe Donald Trump will boycott the game in protest. If that happens, it’ll make Bad Bunny’s booking look like a genius selection. _**Voices** is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the __LGBTQ_ _+ community and its allies. Visit_ _Advocate.com/submit_ _to learn more about submission guidelines. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of_ The Advocate _or our parent company, equalpride._

Only someone living under a rock or in House Speaker _Mike Johnson’s_ 1950s fantasy America, doesn’t know that the _Super Bowl halftime_show is one of the most anticipated performances of the year. It’s not just about football. It's a pop culture phenomenon and capitalism rolled into just 15 minutes. Even people who don’t know the difference between an extra point and a field goal tune in for the music, the costumes, the surprise guests, and, inevitably, the flood of social media that explodes before, during and after the performance.. The halftime show is also a gold mine. Apple reportedly pays around _$50 million a yea_r for sponsorship rights. It’s a cash cow that depends on a single question, and that is, who will draw the biggest audience? The artist has to be massive, commercially, culturally, and even globally. It’s an honor reserved for the most relevant performer of the moment. **Related:** _10 of the Weirdest, Wildest Super Bowl Halftime Shows_ That wasn’t always the case. The very _first Super Bowl_ halftime show, back in 1967, was produced by Tommy Walker and featured trumpeter Al Hirt, marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling College, the Ana-Hi-Steppers, 300 pigeons, 10,000 balloons, and a flying demonstration by something called the Bell Rocket Air Men. I guess the _Beatles_ were busy, and kudos to the stadium crew for cleaning up after 300 pigeons. For years, halftime was what you might call a very family-friendly parade of marching bands and flag twirlers, and pigeons I suppose. But then came _Up With People_, a group that felt like a cross between a church choir and a bar sing-along. Does anyone else remember them? They popped up at four Super Bowls in the 1970s and ’80s with their squeaky-clean optimism and oh, too eager smiles. Then in the 1990s, the NFL realized that the game was becoming TV’s biggest event, so there was room to make some money. It’s always about the money. So the league _went after pop stardom_. New Kids on the Block, Gloria Estefan, Michael Jackson, and the Blues Brothers took the stage. In 2004, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake gave us the infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” and the halftime show entered the modern age of cultural touchstone and must-see TV. **Related:**_Forget the Super Bowl, It's Janet Jackson Appreciation Day_ Which brings us to today, where performing at the Super Bowl is arguably the most coveted invitation in entertainment. This year’s choice, and rightfully so, is _Bad Bunny_. He makes perfect sense. He’s one of the biggest global music stars alive, a streaming powerhouse, and a boundary-breaking performer who brings together fans across languages, borders, and identities. Of course, that didn’t sit well _with the far right_, who were collectively and ridiculously outraged. Conservatives erupted, aghast at the idea of a Puerto Rican megastar headlining America’s biggest sports event. And now along comes America’s cultural arbiter and hippest politician (and yes, I’m being sarcastic), Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who decided to weigh in on pop culture like he’s guest-editing __Billboard__. Johnson, ever eager to show how wildly out of touch he is, said that instead of Bad Bunny, “ _a terrible decision_,” the NFL should choose someone with a “broader audience.” So he suggested Lee Greenwood. Yes, that bellwether of hipness, _Lee Greenwood_. The soon-to-be 83-year-old singer whose best-known song, “God Bless the USA,” has been the background music for Republican conventions, political rallies, and every “Real America” (read: conservative) cause since the _Reagan years_. Greenwood’s first hit song, “ _It Turns Me Inside Out_,” was released in 1981, Ronald Reagan’s first year in office. The Super Bowl was played that year five days after Reagan was sworn in, and the halftime act was the Southern University Marching Band. I think Greenwood may have had a shot at that halftime show, but in 2026, he’s an odd fit to say the least. Johnson, who loves to preach about _women’s roles_, _pornography_, and the eternal damnation awaiting anyone who has gay sex (he loves to talk about gay sex), has now taken his crusade to the Super Bowl stage. **Related:** _Speaker Mike Johnson’s Obsession With Gay Sex_ Like a town crier, he’s sending out his culture-war message in Morse code from a horse and buggy, trumpeting that what America really needs is less Bad Bunny and more 1980s patriotism. Greenwood, for his part, was of course _flattered by Johnson’s_endorsement, which is fair. But Johnson’s reasoning is revealing. When he says “broader audience,” he means only _MAGA_. And in that narrow world, the musical choices are limited to Greenwood, Kid Rock, or Ted Nugent. It’s less “halftime show” and more a Newsmax interlude. Imagine, just for a moment, the NFL replacing Bad Bunny with Greenwood. Everything that makes the halftime show exciting, the cultural relevance, the excitement, the billions of views, would vanish. No one is logging on to Threads to live-post “God Bless the USA.” Perhaps the only audience Greenwood would get are those who have an analog TV with rabbit ears. The suggestion doesn’t just highlight Johnson’s cluelessness, it smacks at something darker. Wanting to replace a Puerto Rican artist with an elderly white man from Tennessee is the same racism and xenophobia that animates so much of the far right. Like many of his colleagues, Johnson probably needs a refresher that Puerto Rico is part of the United States. And honestly, it’s unfair to Greenwood. He’s become a pawn in Johnson’s ongoing culture war, a symbol of an America that only exists in conservative nostalgia. This isn’t a comparison of apples and oranges. It’s a comparison of an EV to a horse and buggy. So, what will the conservatives do? Turning Point USA said it would hold its very own show, “ _The All American Halftime Show_,” which will surely consist of all white straight males and religious fanatics who say they are Christian but would rather give money to some alternative halftime show than to the poor. What a pathetic thing to do. I hope it bombs, and I think it will. **Related** : _Bishop William Barber: Ignoring the poor means ignoring the Jesus factor and defying Christianity_ If the NFL or Apple were to actually take Johnson’s advice, it would be business suicide. The league is desperate to _attract younger audiences_, and the idea that it would replace one of the world’s hottest artists with an octogenarian country singer for the sake of “patriotism” is laughable. Imagine Apple shelling out $50 million to sponsor Lee Greenwood. That’d be like trying to sell a Macintosh from 1984. Bad Bunny will take the stage in February at Levi’s Stadium, and he’ll be fantastic, because he truly does represent what the halftime show and the country actually look like today — young, diverse, global, and unbothered by what the far right deems acceptable.. And who knows? Maybe Donald Trump will boycott the game in protest. If that happens, it’ll make Bad Bunny’s booking look like a genius selection. _**Voices** is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the __LGBTQ_ _+ community and its allies. Visit_ _Advocate.com/submit_ _to learn more about submission guidelines. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of_ The Advocate _or our parent company, equalpride._

Grammy-winning violinist Miri Ben-Ari makes history by headlining the NBA Finals Halftime Show, showcasing her creative blend of music in a groundbreaking performance.