For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, a performance gathering a star-studded lineup was brought into the middle of the two halves (halftime show) of the final match between Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium (USA).
The program took place at a rapid pace, bringing Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, children's choir, Muppets characters, Chris Martin of Coldplay and a brilliant fireworks display onto the stage in just over 11 minutes.
International media describes that everything happened so quickly that viewers could miss it in just a blink of an eye, but still create a very grand feeling.
Madonna opened in the style of a "queen of pop", she appeared glamorous with 2 Brazilian football legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, sitting in a jeep running through the tunnels under the stadium.
After that, Madonna stepped onto the stage and sang the famous line "Music connects people" of the song "Music".
However, that short appearance also revealed what many people are most worried about about the program, which is too many artists gathered but too little time.
The program quickly switched to the performance of Gustavo Dudamel, the symphony orchestra conductor, performing a dramatic remix of "Seven Nation Army" combined with flags, strings, brilliant colors and Muppets.
The symphony orchestra then separated to make way for BTS. The members appeared in synchronous red costumes inspired by motorcycle protective gear, highlighted by the number 7 detail symbolizing the group.
Instead of the song "Permission to dance" as initially revealed, BTS stirred up the stadium with the hit "Dynamite", with some lyrics edited to suit the football atmosphere.
This famous Kpop group with 7 members only has about 1 minute and 40 seconds to show off their dance moves, which is their strength.
The performance was assessed as taking place very quickly but did not create a feeling of haste. Amidst a program constantly changing pace, BTS still showed uniformity, accuracy and understood that if there are only a few minutes on stage, every second must explode.
Next, Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt suddenly appeared on the sidelines in the image of 2 characters Ted Lasso and Coach Beard to introduce Justin Bieber.
Just with an acoustic guitar and a headset microphone, the male singer performed a ballad version of "Everything Hallelujah", while editing the lyrics to suit the World Cup.
Although the audience appreciated Justin Bieber singing live instead of lip-syncing, this performance still created a feeling of being a bit out of place in a program that is full of energy and vibrant rhythm.
The performance considered the most explosive of the program was the collaboration of Shakira and Burna Boy with "Dai Dai" - the official song of the 2026 World Cup.
In a yellow-pink off-the-shoulder outfit, the Colombian singer brought a performance full of energy. The lyrics "This is where you belong" of the song convey a message about solidarity between people through football.
Shakira and Burna Boy once performed "Dai Dai" at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico. But this time, in the final in the US, the performance is considered more explosive and attractive.
However, the program's continued use of "Dai Dai" still makes many people regretful. This is indeed the official theme song of the tournament, but up to now, the audience has listened to it too many times.
Closing the program, Chris Martin (Coldplay) - who supported the Global Citizen organization in producing the program - appeared quite discreetly when harmonizing with the PS22 children's choir from New York to perform the song "We dance", carrying the message of solidarity.
To serve this performance, FIFA spent about 7 minutes setting up the stage and extending the half-time break to nearly 30 minutes, instead of 15 minutes as usual.
This decision has caused many traditional football lovers to object and can only be implemented after the referee approves, according to the regulations of the International Council on Football Law (IFAB).
International press assessed that the entire program is somewhat "crazy", too dense and stuffy, but also different enough to become unforgettable.
