MetLife’s stands were studded with stars on Sunday, among them Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, Matt Damon, Mick Jagger, the Beckhams, Will Ferrell, Zinedine Zidane, Lamine Yamal’s adorable little brother, Trevor Noah, Adrien Brody, and Serena Williams.
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Others showed up on the field before the match began. There were Hoyeon and Carlos Alacaraz, who walked out to reveal the World Cup trophy, housed within a custom Louis Vuitton trunk; and then Tom Cruise, who gave a little speech on the pitch. (”Today, only two teams remain: España v. Argentina!”)
The halftime show
Photo: Getty Images
A lot went on during the World Cup’s first-ever halftime show. After an opener from Madonna, performing “Music” flanked by Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Ronaldo, came—deep breath—Gustavo Dudamel in a custom jersey; violinists miming the “Viking Row”; Muppets; a performance of “Dynamite” by BTS; Jason Sudeikis, as Ted Lasso, introducing Justin Bieber, who sang “Everything Hallelujah”; Shakira and Burna Boy doing “Dai Dai” amid a sea of child dancers (Uganda’s “Ghetto Kids”); and then a performance by Staten Island’s PS22 Chorus, with an assist from Chris Martin, as the entire field was covered in the word “LOVE” (the O was a globe). Is that clear?