Madonna kicked off FIFA's first-ever World Cup Final Halftime Show the way only Madonna could - with zero interest in being understated.
The pop icon opened the historic 11-minute show on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium with a new version of her 2000 hit "Music," arriving via a pre-recorded segment that had her riding through the stadium's underground tunnels in a dune buggy driven by Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The performance blended in elements of her songs "Disco Inferno" and "Danceteria" before she appeared on the field itself and handed things off to conductor Gustavo Dudamel for a symphonic take on "Seven Nation Army."
It was Madonna's first-ever World Cup appearance, though not her first massive halftime stage - she previously headlined the Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show in 2012. This time, she shared the spotlight with Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber in a show curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin, produced to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund's goal of raising $100 million for children's education worldwide.
The 11-minute set moved fast, packing in Burna Boy, the Muppets and the PS22 Chorus alongside the headliners. Right after Madonna's opener, Bieber used his own brief window to perform an acoustic version of "Everything Hallelujah," his chart-topping worship single - a quiet, faith-forward moment tucked into one of the most-watched entertainment spectacles of the year.
