Halftime Hallelujah?

Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber. This was not the lineup of an award show but halftime at the FIFA World Cup final played between Argentina and Spain last night.Football fans have long been divided ever since this was announced. "This is football, not the Super Bowl," became the loudest criticism, with many questioning whether the sport even needed a halftime concert. But let’s just go back to the 11-minute performance here and ask a simpler question: did FIFA’s gamble actually work?It started with Madonna performing Music, dressed in a pink corset and chauffeured by Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Probably relying on pre-recorded vocals, but dancing to the T in her late 60s, mind you - not a bad show. But if there is one thing I would change, it would be the opener. Madonna’s presence worked, but musically, BTS would have been the stronger act to kick things off and inject the stadium with instant energy.Then came BTS, who completely took their fans on a nostalgic ride by performing Dynamite and covering most of the field - something, according to the sweet people on the internet, most Argentinian players would’ve done. Sorry, burn! But they were dynamite with their moves, energy and on-screen presence, something that the South Korean band is perfect at. Dynamite was also the right choice because it’s a song made for dancing, and spreading across the pitch meant fans got to see bits of all their favourite idols. There were a few shaky vocal moments, but that’s what happens when you perform live while dancing across a football stadium.Justin Bieber, however, sobered the mood a little. I like him, but not everything was Everything Hallelujah in the performance. Before his performance, fans joked that they hoped his laptop was charged, referring to the memes around his Coachella set. But the Sorry singer’s acoustic rendition of Everything Hallelujah probably killed the vibe for a World Cup final. Since the entire halftime lasted just 11 minutes and he only performed one song, it seemed like overkill. The problem wasn’t Bieber - it was the song choice. This is Justin Bieber. He could have had the entire stadium dancing to Baby or Sorry, but instead, people could have gone to sleep.Shakira, and BTS, for me were the highlights of the halftime. Like a lot of memes have been saying, Shakira is to football what Mariah Carey is to Christmas, and I agree. She came, danced and reminded everyone how it’s done. Watching her perform felt like watching a live music video - the colours, the dancing, the singing - and, of course, performing Dai Dai, the official FIFA World Cup anthem, only made the moment bigger.The halftime concluded with Chris Martin, Gustavo Dudamel and the rest of the performers coming together for the finale. Produced by Global Citizen and curated by the Coldplay frontman to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, the closing moments turned a football stadium into a concert venue within minutes. The colours, the choreography and the giant "Love" message across the pitch made the show feel bigger than just another halftime performance.The biggest challenge wasn’t the performers - it was the format. Trying to fit global acts into an 11-minute performance meant everything felt rushed. Nobody really had enough time to build momentum. But credit where it’s due: the camera transitions were smooth, and despite the short runtime, the visuals never felt compromised.Maybe that’s the thing we need to remember. As Tom Cruise rightly said before the final, "Let us celebrate a tournament that brought the world together. Let us celebrate each other. This is football. This is unity."Did the halftime show justify FIFA’s decision? I’d say yes. A lot of football fans won’t agree, and that’s fair. But not everyone watching the World Cup final knows every football rule or follows the sport religiously. They do know Madonna, BTS, Shakira or Justin Bieber. If the halftime show gives them one more reason to tune in to the biggest game in football, then maybe that’s exactly what FIFA wanted. And maybe that’s exactly what the performers delivered - a celebration of unity, and of course, football.