Nigerian music star, Burna Boy, headlined FIFA’s inaugural World Cup final halftime show on Sunday, sharing the stage with Shakira as football’s biggest event introduced a Super Bowl-style entertainment spectacle
The Grammy-winning singer joined Shakira to perform the tournament’s official anthem, Dai, Dai, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey during the halftime interval of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
Having also appeared together during the tournament’s opening ceremony, Burna Boy and Shakira were this time accompanied by Uganda’s Ghetto Kids, whose energetic choreography added to the performance.
The halftime show began with pop legend Madonna, who entertained fans after a goalless first half, before Justin Bieber took to the stage with an acoustic performance of Everything Hallelujah.
Brazilian football greats Ronaldo and Ronaldinho also thrilled the crowd, driving onto the pitch to a rousing reception.
Members of Brazil’s victorious 2002 World Cup squad, the duo have remained prominent figures at tournament venues despite the Selecao’s round-of-16 elimination by Norway.
Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the entertainment segment ran for 27 minutes and 19 seconds, far exceeding the standard 15-minute halftime interval prescribed by IFAB for FIFA matches.
FIFA’s introduction of a halftime show, alongside other tournament innovations such as longer hydration breaks, has sparked divided opinions among football fans and pundits over changes to the traditional format.
Former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo, speaking as a pundit on Sporty TV during the final, praised the concept but insisted it should not disrupt the timing of the match.
“I would love to see more of it as long as it doesn’t eat into the stipulated duration of the game,” Yobo said.
Former England forward Ian Wright also reacted to the show, humorously remarking that “Ronaldinho’s tracksuit looked massive,” while ex-Manchester United skipper Roy Keane admitted the performance fell short of his expectations.
“It was a bit of an anti-climax, but listen, it’s so nice to see Shakira,” Keane said.
