It happened! The first-ever World Cup Final halftime show is in the books. And fans (of both music and soccer) have plenty to say about it.
Who performed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup halftime show?
The star-studded event was packed with performances galore. Seriously. If you were expecting a Super Bowl-ish show, you were in for a surprise. Instead of one performer and a few special cameos, this was a mash-up of fan favorites, includingMadonna, Shakira, Burna Boy, Justin Bieber, BTS, conductor Gustavo Dudamel with the musicians from the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, and the PS22 Chorus featuring members of Coldplay.
But there’s more. Ronaldo and Ronaldinho joined Madonna, the Muppets (yes, those Muppets) rocked MetLife Stadium, joining an orchestral performance of ‘Seven Nation Army,’ and Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) and Willis Bears (Brendan Hunt) introduced Justin Bieber.
What did fans think of the World Cup halftime performers?
Of course, the Internet has plenty to say about the World Cup final halftime show. Cue the critics…and the backlash.
Immediately after the show, negative comments dominated Reddit threads. Commenters complained, “There was just too much going on. For me, if it had been Madonna, BTS, and Shakira, it would have been fine”, “Bad song choice for Justin,” and “That was so dull.” One Reddit user even wrote, “Hate hate hate hate HAAAAAATE it, may we never witness bu****** like this ever again,” while another asked, “What in the fever dream was that?”
But others applauded the event, writing, “Madonna and Shakira straight up carried”, “One positive thing, the Muppets were good,” and “The kids dancing with Shakira were cool.”
Things didn’t get better on other Reddit threads. Critics piled on the hate: “It was horrible. I can’t believe I had to sit through it,” and “I feel like my time was wasted.”
Despite the backlash, some fans actually enjoyed the show. In contrast to the critics, one commenter wrote, “Probably an unpopular opinion but I thought it was great. Performers from around the world. Great message,” and “I loved it, hope they keep it going forward…helps make it more special and more entertaining.”
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The reviews were also divided on Instagram. When House of Highlights posted pics of the half-time show, critics fired back with, “Might be the biggest snoozefest of a halftime show” and, “Never again should this happen.”
Some fans voiced (or rather, wrote) their support with comments like “Honestly, I thought it was incredible.”
What’s the verdict on the first World Cup final halftime show?
Gut reactions were not good. But that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone hated the show as a whole. While the critics did come out en masse, some fans backed up the performers and clapped back as steadfast supporters.