Shakira, Justin Bieber, Muppets take stage for World Cup halftime
A star-studded World Cup halftime show began with one of pop music’s biggest stars joined by two of the biggest stars in Brazilian soccer history. Madonna kicked off the celebration by performing her 2000 dance-pop hit "Music," flanked by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho, Madonna and Ronaldo 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 Florencia Tan Ju
The Muppets arrive
An orchestral version of the White Stripes’ "Seven Nation Army," led by Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, came next as Animal and other Muppets bopped along to the sports anthem.
Puppets of the muppet show perform in the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show 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 Marvin Ibo G
Jin of BTS performs 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 Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
BTS & Bieber
K-pop sensations BTS took the baton next, performing one of their biggest hits, "Dynamite," before Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt appeared as their "Ted Lasso" characters. The pair pumped up Justin Bieber, hyping the tempo of the slower "Everything Hallelujah."
Canadian singer Justin Bieber performs during the halftime show of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via
On come Shakira & Burna Boy
Shakira stormed on next with Burna Boy for "Dai Dai." While their anthem came at the half this time, it has been played before every one of the 104 kickoffs in the World Cup.
Colombian singer Shakira performs during the halftime show of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA /
A chorus of elementary school students from Staten Island closed out the halftime show, which had lengthened the break by about ten minutes.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.