'Ice tea, and a game of football': BTS performs 'Dynamite' in historic World Cup halftime show

Megaband BTS co-headlined the first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, as defending champions Argentina faced Spain for the title.

The septet shared the stage with Madonna, Justin Bieber and Shakira for the 12-minute show, curated by Coldplay’s front man Chris Martin. It marked the first time that the World Cup had staged a halftime performance.

The halftime interval began at 3:55 p.m. Seven minutes later, Madonna appeared in a vintage car, riding next to Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, in a prerecorded segment. She performed her 2000 hit “Music,” repeatedly singing the hook, “Music makes people come together,” before concluding the two-minute set hand in hand with the football stars. 

This was followed by an orchestral rendition of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” (2002), featuring “Sesame Street” (1969–) characters as part of the band. A large dance troupe moved across brightly colored fabric that had been spread over the ground.

BTS began its segment at 4:05 p.m. with its 2020 global hit “Dynamite.” V took over what is usually Jungkook’s line in the song and gave it a football-themed twist: From the original lyric, “Ding-dong, call me on my phone / Ice tea and a game of ping-pong,” he replaced “ping-pong” with “football.”

Dressed in red-and-black outfits, the seven members, alongside backup dancers also dressed in red, performed a shortened, two-minute version of “Dynamite,” which ended with sparklers erupting behind them.

The show then moved into a brief interlude featuring Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, cast members from the U.S. sports comedy series “Ted Lasso” (2020-23). The pair staged a mock player substitution, sending BTS off and bringing Justin Bieber into the performance.

The Canadian singer entered the pitch carrying a guitar and performed “Everything Hallelujah,” an acoustic track from his 2025 album “SWAG II.”

Shakira took over at 4:09 p.m. with “Dai Dai,” the official World Cup anthem, which she performed with Burna Boy and a group of child dancers.

The show culminated in an emotional tribute to late football legend Pelé. The word “Love” appeared in vivid colors across the ground as the PS22 Chorus, comprising students from a public elementary school on Staten Island in New York, joined the performers.

The full cast, including Martin, then assembled on stage to sing “We Dance,” an original song written by Coldplay for the halftime show.

The show ran for approximately 12 minutes, while the full halftime stretched to about 25 minutes, extending the conventional 15-minute break due to installing and removing the stage.

BTS’s appearance comes four years after Jungkook performed “Dreamers” (2022), an official song from the soundtrack of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, at the opening ceremony at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.

It also comes four months after the group released its fifth full-length album, “Arirang,” on March 20 after a nearly four-year hiatus, during which all seven members completed their military obligations. The septet is now on its first full-scale world tour in more than six years.

Other high-profile celebrities also appeared at the World Cup final. Tom Cruise made a special appearance to deliver remarks at the start of the match, and Post Malone, accompanied by Swae Lee, headlined the closing ceremony ahead of kickoff.

Other celebrities spotted at the stadium include Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Serena Williams and Mick Jagger. U.S. President Donald Trump also attended the match.

Argentina entered the game seeking to defend the title that it won in 2022. Led by 39-year-old Lionel Messi, the squad reached the final round with a dramatic 2-1 victory over England, with Messi helping score both goals. Spain advanced by defeating France 2-0 in the semifinals.

This year’s World Cup, which kicked off on June 11, was the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 countries, expanded from 32. EJAE, the singer-songwriter behind the hit track “Golden” (2025) from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” (2025), and opera singer Andrea Bocelli performed “DNA,” the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup, during the opening ceremony in Mexico City. Blackpink’s Lisa performed on another opening stage at SoFi Stadium in California on June 12.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]