2026 World Cup, Spain vs. Argentina: Halftime Show with a Bitter Moment for Italy
Spain vs. Argentina, the 2026 World Cup final, featured—as announced—a long and elaborate halftime show during the match’s halftime break. The ceremony, which lasted over 27 minutes and was modeled after those held for more traditionally American sports (starting with the Super Bowl), featured stars from music, soccer, and entertainment such as Madonna, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, as well as BTS and Justin Bieber. The moment that “broke the ice” on the field at MetLife Stadium in New York—an event that had already been met with great skepticism even before it took place—also included a moment that might seem almost like a mockery to Italy, a country that has never qualified for the tournament.
After Madonna had taken the stage first, as expected, the script called for a very special performance of “Seven Nation Army,” the song by the White Stripes that became Italy’s unofficial anthem following its 2006 World Cup victory. Taking the stage (which, after all, was the center of the World Cup final stadium) to perform their own version of the song were the puppets from *The Muppet Show*. That the reference was to the song’s significance in World Cup history became clear when the audience was asked to join in a chorus. It wasn’t Italy’s own “po po po,” but it was close enough. Once that segment ended, the show continued with the South Korean band BTS.
It was certainly a surreal moment for Italian soccer fans who, in a World Cup completely devoid of the Azzurri (the third in a row), may have felt a pang of emotion upon hearing the notes of a song so familiar and now almost bittersweet. And, performed in such a version right during the World Cup final, it was decidedly ironic.
The show, it should be noted, had been at the center of heated controversy in the days and weeks leading up to the final. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had strenuously defended the decision, never backing down despite a veritable revolt by fans on social media, where there had been talk of the “Americanization of soccer” and a “spectacle that stifles the sport.” Infantino himself had been the target of loud boos from the crowd during shots broadcast on the giant screens throughout the tournament, including the France-Spain semifinal, responding with an amused smile that further irritated the fans. FIFA had always maintained that the halftime break’s duration would remain “in accordance with tournament rules,” without, however, clarifying how the discrepancy from the standard 15 minutes set by IFAB would be handled.
Behind the scenes of the show was the artistic direction of Chris Martin of Coldplay, with a production by Global Citizen organized for charitable purposes: the stated goal was to raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aiming to reach $100 million for educational projects around the world. The lineup reflected soccer’s global nature, ranging from American pop to K-pop to Latin music: Shakira, a longtime World Cup icon thanks to her 2010 hit “Waka Waka,” performed “Dai Dai,” the tournament’s official anthem, while Justin Bieber made an appearance following his controversial $10 million set at Coachella.
It should also be noted, however, that the evening at MetLife Stadium was already full of excitement even before kickoff. The opening ceremony featured Laura Pausini performing alongside Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger to the tune of “Desire,” the official FIFA anthem that blends English and Spanish—another Italian presence, then, at an event from which the Azzurri were absent on the field. The singer-songwriter from Romagna, who had already enchanted the world in February by singing the Italian national anthem at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro, had shared her excitement on social media: “A year ago, Robbie Williams invited me to join him in singing ‘Desire,’ FIFA’s first official anthem, and it was a true honor to share this song with such an iconic artist.”
