The first World Cup final halftime show

The 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featured the tournament's first-ever halftime show. Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the 11-minute performance sequence opened with Madonna performing 'Music' from a car driven by Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The Muppets and Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel followed with a rendition of The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army.' K-pop group BTS then took the stage before Justin Bieber delivered an acoustic version of 'Everything Hallelujah,' introduced by actor Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso. Shakira and Burna Boy closed the show with 'Dai Dai,' the official World Cup anthem. The break stretched to 27 minutes and 18 seconds, well beyond FIFA's 15-minute limit, according to Times journalist Martyn Ziegler. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had announced plans for the show in March 2025. A closing ceremony before kick-off included Tom Cruise, Robbie Williams and Jennifer Hudson.

Gallagher: 'like a bad trip'

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher live-tweeted his displeasure.

“This is like a bad trip.”

He later added, "It's a good job I've got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge." When a fan suggested Oasis would have "smashed it," Gallagher replied, "It's not about us well it is but still it's absolutely insane behavior it's cuckoo with a capital K." He made an exception for Justin Bieber, posting "Justin rules" and confirming he had wanted Bieber's acoustic performance. Gallagher described the experience as "touch n go there for 27 minutes I nearly died."

Rooney and fans pile on

Former England striker Wayne Rooney, working as a BBC pundit, was equally blunt.

“I thought it was crap. It just didn't get me going and I wanted the football to come back on. I like Burna Boy, I like Bieber, I like Shakira, but that was too flat.”

Social media users echoed the criticism, with many singling out Bieber's slow song as a poor fit for a stadium crowd. Others praised Shakira's energetic closing segment. The extended break, which delayed the second half, drew ire from fans and commentators. FIFA also faced backlash for introducing in-game hydration breaks that created additional advertising slots, with critics arguing the changes prioritized entertainment and revenue over tradition.

Chart impact: 'Dai Dai' and 'Wonderwall' surge

Shakira and Burna Boy's 'Dai Dai' held at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 for a second week, with 43 million streams (up 4%) and 5,000 downloads worldwide in the July 10-16 tracking week, according to Luminate. It also led the Global Excl. U.S. chart for a fourth week with 36.7 million streams, becoming the first official World Cup anthem to top the global charts since their 2020 launch. The song had been performed at the opening ceremony on June 11 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca before an estimated 80,000 fans. Oasis' 1995 hit 'Wonderwall,' adopted by England supporters throughout the tournament, rocketed from No. 26 to No. 4 on the Global 200, climbing 64% to 35 million streams and 78% to 4,000 sold worldwide. The track, which originally peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996, also reached No. 2 on the UK singles chart. The halftime show's exposure is expected to influence the next tracking week, which covers July 17-23.

Dai Dai43

Wonderwall35

Dai Dai

43 million streams

Wonderwall

35 million streams

Data from the article text