The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final halftime show in East Rutherford, New Jersey, marked the first major halftime performance at the tournament. The event featured a mix of international artists, orchestras, and The Muppets, blending elements reminiscent of the Super Bowl with a distinct global and classical twist. Performers included Madonna, Shakira, Burna Boy, BTS, Justin Bieber, and others, alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, creating a unique cultural spectacle.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 19: A general view 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.
Halftime shows have been part of the Super Bowl since 1967, its inaugural year, but 2026 marks the first major halftime show at the World Cup, which has been going on since 1930. FIFA World Cup showdown takes place in the United States this year . And Lord knows that Americans love a halftime show.
Each year, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is reliably the most-watched single broadcast in the U.S., outpacing even the second-most-watched broadcast by millions. So: was the FIFA World Cup Halftime Show on Sunday basically the Super Bowl Halftime Show during a soccer game, or did it feel like a fresh, distinct event? Things certainly felt different from the start.
Not to state the obvious, but the Super Bowl opens with three slow-building ballads: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” part of the Super Bowl from the start; “America the Beautiful,” sung annually since 2009 ; and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black National Anthem, sung at Super Bowls since 2021. These are emotionally impactful, vocally demanding songs that bring out ace singers, but not spectacle: people have their hands over their hearts during the National Anthem, they’re not doing choreo.
The FIFA World Cup, however, opened with pure spectacle: A Busby Berkeley-esque musical number called “Champions” by streamer IShowSpeed that involved dancers and musicians traipsing around an on-field image of the Empire State Building, augmented by bird’s-eye shots of a soccer ball stage. “Chrome Heartbreaker,” and brought out Swae Lee for their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Sunflower. ” This “closing ceremony” performance was less spectacle than you’d get from a Super Bowl Halftime Show, yet more than you’d see in a pregame Super Bowl performance. For any Americans tuning into a World Cup for the first time, it let them know the vibes would be different.
More than an hour later, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini teamed up to blend voices on “Desire ” while flags from dozens of countries waved around them. It was an emotionally charged performance, akin to what you’d get before an NFL kickoff, but it honestly felt more like something you’d see during the Olympics — it felt international, not national. Jennifer Hudson’s knockout rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” however, felt very Super Bowl – clearly an olive branch to American viewers accustomed to years of hearing the U.S. National Anthem before each and every sports game. Even so, the fact that two additional national anthems were performed before the match – Spain’s “Marcha Real” by a brass band and Argentina’s national anthem, sung by Maria Becerra – reminded everyone that even though the game was taking place in America, this was all about Spain and Argentina.
But what about the actual FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Burna Boy, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem? Two of the aforementioned artists have headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show before while Chris Martin, the World Cup Halftime Show curator, headlined the 2016 halftime show as part of Coldplay.
After an hour of soccer, was that 11-minute performance a taste of the familiar dropped into a new context? Taken on their own, individual performances certainly had shades of Super Bowl: Madonna’s madcap musical medley on a dune buggy; Shakira’s hip-swiveling version of “Dai Dai” with Burna Boy on the field; and BTS’ pyro-laden performance of “Dynamite” all could have existed in the context of a Super Bowl. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
After all, there’s a reason people keep tuning into the Super Bowl Halftime Show year after year – it’s entertaining! And those artists absolutely understood the assignment. But for every moment that felt Super Bowl-esque, there was another one occupying a much different space from modern halftime shows.
Classical music maestro Gustavo Dudamel, wearing a pinstriped suit with his name and number on the back, joined the Muppets’ Electric Mayhem and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to sound the battle cry of “Seven Nation Army. ” Watching Animal pound out the White Stripes’ primal percussion while professional violin players grunted and pulled their instruments back and forth like rowers was an unexpected delight, occupying that sublime space between brilliant and silly .
It was the kind of absurd cross-pollination Super Bowl audiences were used to during halftime shows of the 20th century, back when Ella Fitzgerald and Carol Channing shared a bill or James Brown joined the Blues Brothers . Similarly, how about Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard hitting the field to bring out Justin Bieber?
It’s hard to imagine a modern Super Bowl halftime taking a breather for a chill comedic interlude — one that worked because it didn’t try too hard. .
As for Bieber, if the NFL got one of the world’s biggest pop stars, it’s difficult to imagine them letting him do a somber acoustic performance of “Everything Hallelujah” while casually strolling around the field, then walk off without singing a hint of any of hischart smashes. JB’s quiet moment helped give the World Cup halftime a flavor of its own, too. As with the Dudamel-and-Muppets opener, the finale felt more 20th century Super Bowl than 21st century Super Bowl.
Staten Island’s PS22 Chorus, Emmanuel Kelly, Coldplay and the Muppets debuted a brand-new Coldplay song, “We Dance,” written specifically for the occasion. It was all about love, peace, bright colors and global togetherness. Puppets and children providing a big, mushy finale is entirely conceivable for a halftime show from the ‘80s – less so these days. And that’s refreshing.
I’m not saying the NFL needs to turn back the clock to the low-stakes, schlocky halftime shows of 50 years ago. Most of us would rather watch Bad Bunny than “Elvis Presto,” theimpersonator who performed at the 1989 Super Bowl. But it’s fun to watch a halftime show and have no clue what could possibly happen next. Muppets and the L.A.
Philharmonic rocking out? There’s something inviting about a spectacle that isn’t afraid to get silly. So, the TL;DR final verdict: The FIFA World Cup Halftime Show felt markedly different from modern Super Bowl Halftime Shows – but a lot like an amalgamation of Super Bowls over the decades. And if there’s one lesson for the Super Bowl after watching this, it’s simple: more Muppets.
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