Brazil legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho joined Madonna in an extraordinary World Cup 2026 final half-time show.
The Selecao icons were seen driving into the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on a cart, with Madonna kicking off the show after Spain and Argentina played out a 0-0 draw in the first half.
The two former Brazil players have been seen at various Fifa World Cup 2026 matches, even outside of their own nation’s games, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side exiting the tournament at the hands of Norway in the last 16.
But Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were both greeted with cheers from the sell-out crowd as they entered the pitch, with the pair celebrated over recent weeks as previous winners of the tournament from 2002.
ITV Sport’s Ian Wright noted how “Ronaldinho’s tracksuit looked massive,” with the reviews of the show overall mixed across social media.
Wayne Rooney described the show as “crap” on the BBC’s coverage, while Gary Neville said he “enjoyed it,” with ITV Sport colleague Wright claiming that Burna Boy “saved it” with his performance alongside Shakira.
But Roy Keane was also underwhelmed: “It was a bit of an anti-climax, but listen, it’s so nice to see Shakira.”
After Madonna concluded her segment, the half-time show then moved on to feature Justin Bieber, who performed an acoustic version of ‘Everything Hallelujah’.
That wasn't on our bingo card 😅
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 19, 2026
R9 and Ronaldinho drive Madonna through the tunnel for the Half-Time Show 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yy9eFKfz9z
Shakira and Burna Boy then performed their official World Cup anthem ‘Dai, Dai’.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin curated the show, which extended well beyond the customary 15-minute interval for official Fifa matches, according to IFAB, coming in at 27 minutes and 19 seconds.
The half-time show has created controversy for Fifa, who have shifted the structure of the sport during the tournament, including hydration breaks to divide each half into two intervals, much like American sports.
