EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 19: Suga and J-Hope of BTS perform during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)FIFA via Getty ImagesIn a colorful, historic halftime World Cup show, KPop sensations BTS stormed the stage alongside co-headliners Shakira, Justin Bieber and Madonna, bringing a classic track to more than 80,000 fans in a packed Metlife Stadium.All decked out in red costumes, the multiple record-breaking septet comprising Suga, j-hope, V, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and Jin came on right after Madonna opened the halftime show. The game so far had been rather dry with Spain and Argentina both curbing each other to a goalless first half, so the halftime show was a welcome break while the teams no doubt went back to the drawing board.EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 19: Madonna performs alongside Ronaldinho and Ronaldo during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)Getty ImagesMadonna brought out Brazilian football stars Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, also the original Ronaldo before Cristiano burst into the picture. The entire show was only a tight 11 minutes, so her set quickly transitioned to Gustavo Dudamel conducting the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by no less than the Muppets on band. And then, from in between the blue-suited orchestra popped up Jungkook with the familiar opening notes of their hit 2020 track “Dynamite”. There was a lot of speculation about which song the group would perform for the show, especially considering they are in the middle of their sold out ARIRANG world tour promoting their newest album of the same name. MORE FOR YOUForbesMature, Ferocious, Uneven: BTS ‘ARIRANG’ Reviews Are InBy Hannah AbrahamAt the end, they stuck to “Dynamite”, which makes sense considering it’s entirely in English and easy to sing along to (as a lot of the audience was). EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 19: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook of BTS perform during the Topps Final Halftime Show in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHistorically it’s also quite special; “Dynamite” was the band’s first number-one single in the US, where the World Cup is being held, as well as the track that earned BTS their first ever Grammy nomination (also the first Grammy nomination for a K-pop group, period). EAST RUTHERFORD, UNITED STATES - JULY 19: Burna Boy, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS, Special characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, Madonna, Gustavo Dudamel, Coldplay PS22 Dudamel during the world cup halftime show during the world cup halftime show during the match between FIFA World Cup Final v Halftime Show at the Met Life Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford United States (Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe nomination, which was for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance, ultimately did not result in a win, but it marked a turning point in how the Western music industry acknowledged K-pop commercially.ForbesHow A Newly Introduced Grammys Category Could Change Everything For KPopBy Hannah AbrahamIt was a surreal scene for anyone who has followed the group’s trajectory — seven men who, three World Cups ago, were performing to few hundreds of fans in South Korean venues, now standing on a stage inside a 82,500-capacity stadium in New Jersey while the entire world watched. EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 19: Suga and RM of BTS perform during the Topps Final Halftime Show in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Getty ImagesConsidering that this is the FIFA World Cup’s first ever halftime show, this appearance is yet another record that BTS has added to their brimming hats. BTS will return to this exact Metlife Stadium on August 1 and 2 as part of their ongoing ARIRANG tour.