Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira headlined the first-ever FIFA World Cup Finals Halftime Show on Sunday, playing a packed 11-minute mega-mix that also featured Burna Boy, the New York Philharmonic’s Gustavo Dudamel and The Muppets.
Madonna kicked off the show, throttling through the New York-New Jersey stadium tunnels in a dune buggy, fittingly driven by renowned Brazilian soccer players Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, in a pre-recorded segment. The pop star appeared on screen, singing a new version of her 2000 hit “Music” infused with elements of “Disco Inferno” and “Danceteria,” before appearing on the pitch and handing over the baton to conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
He led musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in a rendition of “Seven Nation Army,” with Iranian violinist Bijan Mortazavi and The Muppets’ rock group Electric Mayhem, in one of several Muppets appearances.
K-pop superstars BTS took to the pitch with a football-inspired performance of their hit “Dynamite,” with a lead in from a video of Norway’s rowing chant and rewritten lyrics for the halftime show. Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt then popped up on field in character as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard from their Apple TV series, as they encouraged Justin Bieber before he took the pitch to cheers from the crowd.
