For the first time in the history of the World Cup, the break in a final ceased to be a mere tactical respite and became a showcase of global magnitude. This Sunday, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the match between Argentina and Spain had to share the attention with a stellar display that lasted just under 12 minutes, but that generated a cultural earthquake on social networks and an intense debate about the limits between sport and entertainment.

The organization, creatively led by Chris Martin (Coldplay vocalist), designed a ladder that covered different styles and generations with unique precision. The show started in an underground and surprising way: Madonna burst in with her dance anthem “Music” (2000) and then emerged at the edge of the grass along with two living legends of Brazilian football: Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, blurring the line between the artist and the sports idol.

The pop energy continued with a radical change of register. After a brief percussive break by the Muppets, it was the turn of BTS, who brought their global phenomenon to the center of the field with “Dynamite”, the song that conquered the charts in 2020.

The Justin Bieber moment

The most intimate and emotional moment came from Justin Bieber, presented by actor Jason Sudeikis in his iconic role as Ted Lasso. Bieber slowed down the beat with an acoustic guitar and adapted his hit “Everything Hallelujah” into a version titled “World Cup Hallelujah,” taken from his 2025 album “Swag.”

The connection with football tradition was provided by Shakira, a World Cup veteran, who shared the stage with Burna Boy to perform “Dai Dai”, the official song of the tournament. The finale was choral and symbolic: a children's choir from the PS 22 school in Staten Island sang the anthem “We Believe”, joined by Chris Martin and the Muppets themselves, with the unmistakable presence of Kermit the Frog and Peggy the Pig.

The biggest challenge of this ambitious production was, without a doubt, time. According to FIFA regulations, the break between periods should not exceed 15 minutes, although the referee can modify this limit.

This Sunday, the organization squeezed every second: the pure show (not counting assembly and disassembly) lasted 11 minutes and 47 seconds, but the entire intermission was extended to 27 minutes, a time that, although exceptional, was authorized to accommodate the complex logistics of the event.

The initiative, produced by Global Citizen, not only sought to entertain, but also sought to give visibility to a philanthropic fund aimed at guaranteeing access to children's education.

However, not everyone welcomed the idea with open arms. Some critics argued that these types of performances violate the “sacrity” of the sport and break the players' concentration at a key moment.

FIFA, for its part, defended the proposal as an attempt to replicate the cultural and media success of the Super Bowl halftime show, amplifying the global reach of the event beyond the 90 minutes of play.