The World Cup Finals Halftime Show Was Absurd - Stereogum

What the report says

Stereogum’s Margaret Farrell described the FIFA World Cup final entertainment as an unusually disjointed spectacle, focusing on the pre-ceremony and halftime show rather than the match result. The article, published July 20, 2026, said Post Malone opened the pre-ceremony with a debut of “Chrome Heartbreaker,” then performed “Wow.” and “Sunflower” with Swae Lee. He also wore a T-shirt reading, “I Just Hope That Both Teams Have Fun,” which Stereogum framed as a joke that underscored the event’s emphasis on spectacle.

According to Stereogum, the halftime production included a wide mix of performers and concepts: the Muppets, a children’s choir, Gustavo Dudamel conducting an orchestra, Madonna performing “Music,” BTS performing “Dynamite,” and Justin Bieber appearing after a pep talk from Ted Lasso characters before singing “Everything Hallelujah” acoustically. The outlet singled out Shakira and Burna Boy’s performance of the official anthem “Dai Dai” as one of the few elements that fit the occasion, and also noted Animal’s drumming during the “Seven Nation Army” football chant.

The piece was written as commentary, arguing that FIFA’s attempt to make the final feel bigger resulted in an overstuffed and tonally uneven show. Stereogum also suggested the extended entertainment may have affected the rhythm of a cautious, drawn-out match, though it did not provide team details or a final score. More broadly, the article reflects ongoing debate over how major sports bodies balance the game itself with pop-culture programming for global television audiences.