The biggest winners and losers from the World Cup halftime show
21 Video Views·Jul 30, 2026
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FIFA finally gave the World Cup final its very first ever halftime show,
brought in Coldplay's Chris Martin to curate it,
and somehow still managed to spark just as much debate as the actual match itself.
Number 1. Madonna's Grand Entrance
The queen of pop rode through a tunnel on a dune buggy driven by Brazilian legends
Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, launching into her 2000 hit music as Disco Inferno played behind her.
Critics called it flawless, giving it a perfect score.
Number 2. The Ted Lasso Cameo
Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt strolled the sidelines in character as Ted Lasso and Coach
Beard, perfectly timed ahead of the show's return next month, giving Justin Bieber an
in-character pep talk right before his own performance.
Number 3. Justin Bieber's Controversial Pick
Bieber performed a stripped down acoustic version of Everything Hallelujah,
and reactions were genuinely split. Many fans complained the slow,
soulful tempo completely killed the stadium's energy,
with one person online saying he simply chose the wrong song for the moment.
Number 4. Shakira and Burna Boy Saved The Momentum
Their performance of Die Die, the tournament's official song,
got singled out as one of the show's strongest moments,
even if critics docked a few points for Shakira skipping shoes entirely for some reason.
Number 5. The Muppets Crossover
Coldplay teamed up with Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog for a new song called Believe In Love,
backed by the Webby Award-winning PS22 chorus, made up of elementary school kids from Staten
Island, creating one of the show's more unexpectedly wholesome moments.
Number 6. BTS Brought The Energy
Though critics noted a genuinely jarring tonal whiplash transitioning from their
high-energy set directly into Bieber's quiet acoustic number.
Number 7. The Massive Closing Number
We Dance brought everyone back together. Coldplay, Shakira, The Muppets,
and the children's chorus all sharing the stage at once for one giant, chaotic finale.
Critics were split. Wayne Rooney bluntly called it crap on BBC,
while others called it overstuffed and hard to follow, star power aside.
On the bright side, the event raised over $50 million for charity.
Historic first, mixed reviews, fun chaos.
Which moment stole the show? Tell us below.

