Apparently there are some folks who don’t enjoy Shakira concerts.
FIFA announced Thursday its first halftime show for the upcoming World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in a major deviation from the norm.
The Super Bowl-like show will feature Shakira, Madonna and K-pop band BTS and be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The trio’s performance will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
The issue, though, is that foreign soccer fans — who are more devoted than American fans to the sport — are not used to entertainment acts during their favorite sport’s biggest game.
Some X users voiced their skepticism with the tactic.
“Btw i dont think football fans will like halftime show lmao they are not like american football fans,” one X user wrote. “Also i hate that us is trying to make everything americanified.”
This year’s World Cup is being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and this halftime show is something straight out of the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl halftime show is used to grand acts, be it Bad Bunny’s polarizing performance earlier this year or Prince’s epic show in 2007, interrupting football’s final game for roughly 30 minutes.
That’s not something that soccer uses for its high-profile games, with the Associated Press noting how the Killers are hosting a pre-match concert before this year’s Champions League final May 30.
There are certainly logistics questions considering how a normal halftime show is 15 minutes and trying to fit in three iconic artists into that time frame could be an issue.
FIFA, though, is touting the charity element in describing the halftime show, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino sharing an Instagram post stating the show will be “bringing together music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.”
There certainly has been some positive support for the show, especially due to the massive fan bases some of them have, but others are still not sold.
Said one X user: “We don’t want it.”
Another posted: “Halftime show at the World Cup final feels like FIFA trying to be the Super Bowl. Players just want to focus and recover. Shakira returning for what’s basically her Waka Waka swan song will be a moment though. Madonna and BTS feel forced.”
One X poster wrote in response to FIFA’s tweet about the show: “Genuinely nobody cares. Its not American Handball where people only watch the Super Bowl for the half time show. People are watching the World Cup to watch football and the players. If you really wanted to host a half time show, at least do it with relevant artists or global superstars.”
