How footie fans are fuming at ‘historic’ World Cup half time show featuring Madonna as they slam ‘Super Bowl knock-off’
World Cup chiefs recruited puppets from The Muppets and Sesame Street to launch the first ever half-time show planned for the tournament’s final.
Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal and Elmo joined Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in a FIFA video unveiled yesterday to announce the star-studded line-up for the event.
The glitzy extravaganza, like those seen at the US Super Bowl, will feature Madonna, Shakira and K-pop boy band BTS.
In the video, singer Chris says it will be “a chance to show how amazing all different kinds of humans are”, as Elmo phones the A-listers to invite them to perform.
But the guest superstars may have to be quick with their acts as football’s current laws say the half-time break cannot exceed 15 minutes.
Sources say this could leave them with a window of just 11 minutes to pour out their hits in front of fans at the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
However, the regulation 15 minutes was extended at the 2024 Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina, where Shakira performed within a 25-minute break.
That move was blasted by Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo at the time, who raged: “I think it should be like any other match, with the 15 minutes that correspond to the regulations.
“One knows the cost of those recovery minutes in the locker room. Players can cool down too much.”
He went on to point out that football authorities often penalise managers if their team returns to the pitch just a minute late.
At last year’s Club World Cup final in the US between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, the interval also overran to 24 minutes.
Football purists have raised concerns that extending breaks beyond 15 minutes upsets the players’ rhythm and match-readiness.
But FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the move towards longer, glitzy shows, declaring the 2026 half-time entertainment will mark a “historic moment”.
He added: “We need the half-time show which is not just a show but which carries an important message . . . how we can impact the world by putting together the No1 sport in the world — which is soccer or football, call it as you want — and music.”
Queen of Pop Madonna, who is the best-selling female artist of all time, will top the bill at the July 19 final, which will be the climax of 104 matches being played in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The 67-year-old diva recently relaunched her career with a surprise appearance at the Coachella festival alongside Sabrina Carpenter for duets of her hits Vogue and Like A Prayer.
Madonna headlined the Super Bowl half-time show in 2012, while Shakira shared the stage with Jennifer Lopez at the event in 2020.
Shakira also sang the official song for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Called Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), it raises the possibility of a duet, this time with Muppet Fozzie Bear, whose comedy catchphrase is Wocka Wocka!
Meanwhile, she will be releasing this year’s official tournament song, Dai Dai.
Named after an Italian phrase meaning “come on”, the track also features Nigerian singer Burna Boy.
K-pop band BTS, the best-selling music act in South Korean history, have made a comeback after completing three years of compulsory military service.
The seven-member group had a UK No3 with My Universe alongside Coldplay in 2021. Infantino, who is also facing fan fury over the extortionate prices of World Cup tickets, said the show “will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup, befitting the biggest sporting event in the world”.
But fan groups do not agree.
The England Football Supporters’ Association hit out at the “spectacle-first” approach.
An association spokesman said real fans were being “priced out” in favour of “event-goers” who are there to enjoy music.
Football Supporters Europe also blasted what it calls the “juvenile daydreams of extended half-time shows and Super Bowl knock-offs”.
And even the biggest stars in the world will struggle to be worth the astonishing ticket prices being charged for the final.
FIFA has ramped up its top-tier pricing to £24,400, compared to £8,100 for the final between Argentina and France in Qatar in 2022.
And prices on the official resale platform — from which FIFA pockets a 30 per cent share of every transaction — have rocketed to incredible levels.
The current record being asked for a ticket on an official FIFA site is £8.5million for a single seat in Block 307, Row 22.
The half-time show is being staged in support of FIFA partner the Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100million to help children worldwide.
In the launch video, Chris was seated with puppet Elmo to discuss how he wanted to create a performance to promote unity.
Muppets Cookie Monster, Animal, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Statler and Waldorf all had cameos to help reveal the big names set to perform. Anthony Alfano, Global Citizen’s director of artist engagement, said the plan was to raise awareness of global issues — as well as a huge sum for good causes.
