FIFA, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and World Cup final viewers
Sunday during the World Cup final
The World Cup final staged its first major half-time show, stretching the interval to 27 minutes. The production featured Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, Coldplay and several football celebrities.
The Athletic called the show slick but unnecessary, noting heavy sponsor involvement and concern over football adopting a Super Bowl-style model. The long break added to wider criticism of FIFA’s commercial direction during the tournament.