World Cup final performances span Shakira, Tom Cruise and Muppets

Key Points:

• The World Cup’s first halftime show at MetLife Stadium featured a rapid-fire lineup including Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, Shakira, Burna Boy, and appearances by Ted Lasso characters and the Muppets, with each artist performing about two minutes.
• Madonna opened with her hit “Music” alongside Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, followed by Gustavo Dudamel conducting an orchestra for “Seven Nation Army” with the Muppets house band providing accompaniment.
• BTS performed “Dynamite” in red and black outfits, Justin Bieber delivered an acoustic “Everything Hallelujah” boosted by Ted Lasso characters, and Shakira and Burna Boy performed the official World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” with colorful dancers.
• The show concluded with the PS22 Chorus and Chris Martin, curated by Coldplay’s frontman, joined by Shakira and several Sesame Street characters, while the music was prerecorded by musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.
• The pre-match closing ceremony included performances by Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams, Post Malone, and a motivational speech by Tom Cruise, with live renditions of the Spain and Argentina national anthems by Spanish Brass and María Becerra.