FIFA achieved exactly what it hoped and what soccer purists feared: turning the most sacred match in the sport into an 11-and-a-half-minute pop fever dream. FIFA unveiled plans for the halftime show in May, with a video starring Elmo and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who was tapped to curate the show. The performance represented a departure from traditional soccer norms—the show resulted in the halftime break lasting as long as 30 minutes, potentially exceeding soccer's typical 15-minute halftime limit—but was framed by organizers as serving a broader purpose beyond entertainment.

Despite reports that the halftime extravaganza would be allowed to go over the allotted 11 minutes, it came in at just a few seconds over that mark, which meant that none of the superstars involved got more than about two minutes of time on the field. BTS followed with a turbocharged rendition of 'Dynamite,' before Jason Sudeikis introduced Justin Bieber for an acoustic 'Everything Hallelujah,' which gave way to Shakira and Burna Boy tearing into the chart-topper 'Dai Dai'. Many compared it favorably to the Super Bowl halftime show from Bad Bunny, saying it had more energy and was intelligible, and while many questioned the need for a World Cup halftime show at all, most seemed to think it was well done, flowed well and didn't drag on too long.

The show's structure prioritized global representation and charitable impact over prolonged individual performances. With $1 from every ticket sold to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches donated throughout the tournament, the Fund has now raised over $60 million and provided grants to 58 community-based organizations in 20 countries, impacting the lives of 400,000 children. The curated nature of the spectacle—with Chris Martin overseeing the lineup and pacing—reflected FIFA's strategy to maximize star power while maintaining a humanitarian message centered on education access, a constraint that left each performer compressed into brief segments rather than full-length performances.