Shakira and Burna Boy reunited on stage to perform their collaboration Dai Dai at the World Cup final, having previously performed together at the tournament’s opening ceremony in Mexico City. The Colombian pop star and Nigerian musician’s set was part of a half-time show that ran to 27 minutes and 22 seconds — the longest in World Cup history.
Madonna also took to the stage, performing her hit song Music in a sequence that saw her appear to emerge from tunnels beneath the arena, flanked by Brazilian greats Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. K-Pop group BTS also performed as part of the show, marking their comeback from a three-year music hiatus while completing mandatory military service in South Korea. Fireworks ringed the stadium as it was lit up in a riot of colour throughout the performances.
The closing ceremony earlier in the evening featured its own array of entertainment. Streamer IShowSpeed opened proceedings at the New York New Jersey Stadium alongside drummers and dancers in vibrant tracksuits, while Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem and actor Tom Cruise delivered a speech about the power of football to unite people.
Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini performed together during the ceremony, with rapper and singer Post Malone also taking the stage to perform his hit song Wow.
Several high-profile celebrities were spotted in attendance, including Kylie Jenner and her boyfriend Timothee Chalamet, along with Beyonce and Jay-Z. British-Argentine actress Anya Taylor-Joy attended with her husband Malcolm McRae, having told reporters ahead of the England v Argentina semi-final that she was for Argentina in her “heart of hearts”.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
