The FIFA World Cup halftime show was so unhinged you need to see it to believe it I can’t stop thinking about the halftime show of the World Cup final. It was one of those things you just had to see to believe. It was so weird, so improbable, so nonsensical that part of me is in awe of what took place, and part wonders how many people it took to greenlight this and assume it was a good idea.
Truthfully, here’s how I presented the halftime show to my non-soccer watching friends in our group chat.
Let’s expand beyond the group chat to examine the key elements of all this. It begins with Madonna emerging from a disco ball amidst roller skaters before jumping in a dune buggy being driven by Ronaldo (R9) and Ronaldinho. Poor R9 seemed frozen while driving the dune buggy. He was smiling as if he was trapped in a hostage video and didn’t seem relaxed for one second until he was off camera altogether.
Madonna represented the USA element of this halftime show. This is important, because we’re going to come back to this.
Then we got the Muppets playing “Seven Nation Army,” with Gustavo Dudamel leading the New York Philharmonic, which was a delight. I don’t know why exactly they were playing “Seven Nation Army, but I didn’t care because it was cool.
BTS were great because they’re BTS. Look, I am a 41-year-old man, and yes, my view of K-Pop might be extremely skewed due to my nine-year-old daughter’s love of K-Pop — but it was rad. BTS put on a great show, and are still my pick (along with Blackpink and others) to be the Super Bowl halftime show this year.
Next up was a Ted Lasso interlude, because of course there was. It made me wonder how much Ted Lasso resonates outside the USA at all. I know the show has fans in England, but is this something that has really gone global? If not this would be wildly confusing, but nonetheless it led to the Canadian element of the halftime show: Justin Bieber.
Never really cared for Biebs. It was fine. I’m not gonna lie though, the “BELIEBE” sign made me giggle.
Okay then, we’re well past the halfway point and we’ve had USA’s artist and Canada’s artist representing two of the host nations — now we just need a performer from Mexico to bring it home. Introducing … SHAKIRA?!
Look, I know Shakira is intimately involved in all things FIFA, but she is very well known and established to be Colombian. You can’t just replace Mexico’s place in all this by grabbing another Latin artist and calling it a day. Sure, the theme of all this was supposed to be global, but it was extremely weird to have two host nation countries represented and not a third.
Shakira did what Shakira has done for 20 years.
It was time to close out the show by remembering the children are our future. Dozens of kids were on the field, and incredible props to some of these youngsters for performing solos in front of an entire stadium, with hundreds-of-millions of people watching around the globe. I could have never.
The Muppets were back, this time in their Sesame St. variant forms, because children and Sesame St. Chris Martin and Coldplay were in the background offering support. It was technically their number, but nobody puts Miss Piggy in the corner.
The prevailing theme of the whole show was love across the world, which I could be really jaded about — and normally I would be, but damn did it feel needed right now. This was joyous anarchy, and while the world might not be accustomed to the halftime show, it was a really nice breather. The big misstep was not having a performer representing Mexico, however.
#FIFA #World #Cup #halftime #show #unhinged
I can’t stop thinking about the halftime show of the World Cup final. It was one of those things you just had to see to believe. It was so weird, so improbable, so nonsensical that part of me is in awe of what took place, and part wonders how many people it took to greenlight this and assume it was a good idea.
Truthfully, here’s how I presented the halftime show to my non-soccer watching friends in our group chat.
Let’s expand beyond the group chat to examine the key elements of all this. It begins with Madonna emerging from a disco ball amidst roller skaters before jumping in a dune buggy being driven by Ronaldo (R9) and Ronaldinho. Poor R9 seemed frozen while driving the dune buggy. He was smiling as if he was trapped in a hostage video and didn’t seem relaxed for one second until he was off camera altogether.
Madonna represented the USA element of this halftime show. This is important, because we’re going to come back to this.
Then we got the Muppets playing “Seven Nation Army,” with Gustavo Dudamel leading the New York Philharmonic, which was a delight. I don’t know why exactly they were playing “Seven Nation Army, but I didn’t care because it was cool.
BTS were great because they’re BTS. Look, I am a 41-year-old man, and yes, my view of K-Pop might be extremely skewed due to my nine-year-old daughter’s love of K-Pop — but it was rad. BTS put on a great show, and are still my pick (along with Blackpink and others) to be the Super Bowl halftime show this year.
Next up was a Ted Lasso interlude, because of course there was. It made me wonder how much Ted Lasso resonates outside the USA at all. I know the show has fans in England, but is this something that has really gone global? If not this would be wildly confusing, but nonetheless it led to the Canadian element of the halftime show: Justin Bieber.
Never really cared for Biebs. It was fine. I’m not gonna lie though, the “BELIEBE” sign made me giggle.
Okay then, we’re well past the halfway point and we’ve had USA’s artist and Canada’s artist representing two of the host nations — now we just need a performer from Mexico to bring it home. Introducing … SHAKIRA?!
Look, I know Shakira is intimately involved in all things FIFA, but she is very well known and established to be Colombian. You can’t just replace Mexico’s place in all this by grabbing another Latin artist and calling it a day. Sure, the theme of all this was supposed to be global, but it was extremely weird to have two host nation countries represented and not a third.
Shakira did what Shakira has done for 20 years.
It was time to close out the show by remembering the children are our future. Dozens of kids were on the field, and incredible props to some of these youngsters for performing solos in front of an entire stadium, with hundreds-of-millions of people watching around the globe. I could have never.
The Muppets were back, this time in their Sesame St. variant forms, because children and Sesame St. Chris Martin and Coldplay were in the background offering support. It was technically their number, but nobody puts Miss Piggy in the corner.
The prevailing theme of the whole show was love across the world, which I could be really jaded about — and normally I would be, but damn did it feel needed right now. This was joyous anarchy, and while the world might not be accustomed to the halftime show, it was a really nice breather. The big misstep was not having a performer representing Mexico, however.
![Deadspin | SEC notebook: Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy cleared after shooting; recovery timeline TBD Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) reacts to his first down pickup during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Jacksonville. Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared for football activities just over two months after being shot in the upper leg, head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Monday. Hardy was shot while attending an outdoor concert on May 10 in Laurel, Miss. “We anticipate he will make a recovery, but what that recovery will look like after having a bullet strike you is still to be determined,” Drinkwitz said Monday at SEC Media Days. “We do not know exactly what the return to play progression is because there’s not a lot of literature to that on this. “We do anticipate this return to play protocol could take anywhere from five-to-eight weeks, and at the end of the eight weeks, we still don’t know what the recovery will be — is he the same Ahmad Hardy as he was last year? My anticipation and what I’ve seen and the way he’s attacked his rehab, he’s going to be a better Ahmad Hardy than he was before.” Drinkwitz said Hardy likely learned an important lesson during the ordeal. “I think there’s a youthfulness feel of invincibility for all of these guys right now from 18 to 22 (years) old, and they’re empowered more now than they’ve ever been before, whether that’s financially or influence,” Drinkwitz said. “I think for Ahmad, there was that moment there where he realized he was mortal, and there could be really bad outcomes if you don’t make the right decisions consistently. “It was an unfortunate accident, incident and it wasn’t something he had any intention, nobody did. When you go to a concert, you don’t expect to be a victim of a random act of violence, especially gun violence. But I’ve been very, very proud of the way he has approached his recovery. This was a great opportunity for Ahmad to learn and for our student-athletes to learn. Also a great reminder there’s no place for gun violence in this world and that we need to do a better job of policing gun violence.” Missouri opens the 2026 season on Sept. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Columbia, Mo. That is approximately 6 1/2 weeks into the recovery timeline. Hardy, 20, is a Mississippi native. He began his career at Louisiana-Monroe, where he was named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after he led the conference in rushing yards (1,351) and rushing touchdowns (13) on 237 attempts. He transferred to Missouri, where he ranked second among FBS players with 1,649 rushing yards last season, a mark that broke the Tigers’ single-season record. He earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors, was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award and a consensus All-American while scoring 16 TDs and averaging 6.4 yards on his 256 rushing attempts. –Oklahoma not noticing newfound national respect A year ago, there were some valid questions about Brett Venables’ future at Oklahoma. After 6-7 campaigns in two of his first three seasons, the Sooners needed a breakthrough in 2025 for their coach’s sake. They delivered just that, finishing a 10-2 regular season, earning the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff and hosting a first-round game they lost to Alabama. Now, Venables enters Year 5 at Oklahoma on a cooler seat and with higher expectations. Quarterback John Mateer is back and fully recovered from the throwing hand injury that limited him last season. A number of key pieces from the Sooners’ stellar defense are also back this fall. The coach is trying not to give any of that attention much mind. “We focus on things that we can control,” Venables said. “Do you ever use that as a motivation for a guy to maybe humble a guy? Absolutely. But at the end of the day this is a game of performance, this is a game that’s about the work, and this is a game where it’s decided on the field.” His Sooners will get to prove their worth early in the season, playing at Michigan, at Georgia and facing Texas in Dallas in their first five games of the season. –Will Stein brings extreme confidence to Kentucky When it comes to Kentucky, football isn’t the first sport that comes to mind. But with the confidence that first-year coach Will Stein is bringing to the Wildcats, he certainly believes that will change. Stein, who rose to prominence as Oregon’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons, takes over a program that has won double-digit games just twice since 1977. As the 36-year-old Louisville native took the podium Monday, he took the opportunity presented by a reporter asking him why he believes he’ll win big in Lexington to demonstrate his strong self-belief. “I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said. “Because of me. I think I know what it takes. I’ve seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level. You’ve just got to believe, man. You’ve just got to put the ball down and play. There’s not really (much) else to be said.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #SEC #notebook #Missouri #Ahmad #Hardy #cleared #shooting #recovery #timeline #TBD](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-1200,fo-auto/27891314.jpg "Deadspin | SEC notebook: Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy cleared after shooting; recovery timeline TBD Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) reacts to his first down pickup during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Jacksonville. Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared for football activities just over two months after being shot in the upper leg, head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Monday. Hardy was shot while attending an outdoor concert on May 10 in Laurel, Miss. “We anticipate he will make a recovery, but what that recovery will look like after having a bullet strike you is still to be determined,” Drinkwitz said Monday at SEC Media Days. “We do not know exactly what the return to play progression is because there’s not a lot of literature to that on this. “We do anticipate this return to play protocol could take anywhere from five-to-eight weeks, and at the end of the eight weeks, we still don’t know what the recovery will be — is he the same Ahmad Hardy as he was last year? My anticipation and what I’ve seen and the way he’s attacked his rehab, he’s going to be a better Ahmad Hardy than he was before.” Drinkwitz said Hardy likely learned an important lesson during the ordeal. “I think there’s a youthfulness feel of invincibility for all of these guys right now from 18 to 22 (years) old, and they’re empowered more now than they’ve ever been before, whether that’s financially or influence,” Drinkwitz said. “I think for Ahmad, there was that moment there where he realized he was mortal, and there could be really bad outcomes if you don’t make the right decisions consistently. “It was an unfortunate accident, incident and it wasn’t something he had any intention, nobody did. When you go to a concert, you don’t expect to be a victim of a random act of violence, especially gun violence. But I’ve been very, very proud of the way he has approached his recovery. This was a great opportunity for Ahmad to learn and for our student-athletes to learn. Also a great reminder there’s no place for gun violence in this world and that we need to do a better job of policing gun violence.” Missouri opens the 2026 season on Sept. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Columbia, Mo. That is approximately 6 1/2 weeks into the recovery timeline. Hardy, 20, is a Mississippi native. He began his career at Louisiana-Monroe, where he was named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after he led the conference in rushing yards (1,351) and rushing touchdowns (13) on 237 attempts. He transferred to Missouri, where he ranked second among FBS players with 1,649 rushing yards last season, a mark that broke the Tigers’ single-season record. He earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors, was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award and a consensus All-American while scoring 16 TDs and averaging 6.4 yards on his 256 rushing attempts. –Oklahoma not noticing newfound national respect A year ago, there were some valid questions about Brett Venables’ future at Oklahoma. After 6-7 campaigns in two of his first three seasons, the Sooners needed a breakthrough in 2025 for their coach’s sake. They delivered just that, finishing a 10-2 regular season, earning the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff and hosting a first-round game they lost to Alabama. Now, Venables enters Year 5 at Oklahoma on a cooler seat and with higher expectations. Quarterback John Mateer is back and fully recovered from the throwing hand injury that limited him last season. A number of key pieces from the Sooners’ stellar defense are also back this fall. The coach is trying not to give any of that attention much mind. “We focus on things that we can control,” Venables said. “Do you ever use that as a motivation for a guy to maybe humble a guy? Absolutely. But at the end of the day this is a game of performance, this is a game that’s about the work, and this is a game where it’s decided on the field.” His Sooners will get to prove their worth early in the season, playing at Michigan, at Georgia and facing Texas in Dallas in their first five games of the season. –Will Stein brings extreme confidence to Kentucky When it comes to Kentucky, football isn’t the first sport that comes to mind. But with the confidence that first-year coach Will Stein is bringing to the Wildcats, he certainly believes that will change. Stein, who rose to prominence as Oregon’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons, takes over a program that has won double-digit games just twice since 1977. As the 36-year-old Louisville native took the podium Monday, he took the opportunity presented by a reporter asking him why he believes he’ll win big in Lexington to demonstrate his strong self-belief. “I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said. “Because of me. I think I know what it takes. I’ve seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level. You’ve just got to believe, man. You’ve just got to put the ball down and play. There’s not really (much) else to be said.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #SEC #notebook #Missouri #Ahmad #Hardy #cleared #shooting #recovery #timeline #TBD")
![Deadspin | SEC notebook: Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy cleared after shooting; recovery timeline TBD Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) reacts to his first down pickup during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Jacksonville. Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared for football activities just over two months after being shot in the upper leg, head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Monday. Hardy was shot while attending an outdoor concert on May 10 in Laurel, Miss. “We anticipate he will make a recovery, but what that recovery will look like after having a bullet strike you is still to be determined,” Drinkwitz said Monday at SEC Media Days. “We do not know exactly what the return to play progression is because there’s not a lot of literature to that on this. “We do anticipate this return to play protocol could take anywhere from five-to-eight weeks, and at the end of the eight weeks, we still don’t know what the recovery will be — is he the same Ahmad Hardy as he was last year? My anticipation and what I’ve seen and the way he’s attacked his rehab, he’s going to be a better Ahmad Hardy than he was before.” Drinkwitz said Hardy likely learned an important lesson during the ordeal. “I think there’s a youthfulness feel of invincibility for all of these guys right now from 18 to 22 (years) old, and they’re empowered more now than they’ve ever been before, whether that’s financially or influence,” Drinkwitz said. “I think for Ahmad, there was that moment there where he realized he was mortal, and there could be really bad outcomes if you don’t make the right decisions consistently. “It was an unfortunate accident, incident and it wasn’t something he had any intention, nobody did. When you go to a concert, you don’t expect to be a victim of a random act of violence, especially gun violence. But I’ve been very, very proud of the way he has approached his recovery. This was a great opportunity for Ahmad to learn and for our student-athletes to learn. Also a great reminder there’s no place for gun violence in this world and that we need to do a better job of policing gun violence.” Missouri opens the 2026 season on Sept. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Columbia, Mo. That is approximately 6 1/2 weeks into the recovery timeline. Hardy, 20, is a Mississippi native. He began his career at Louisiana-Monroe, where he was named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after he led the conference in rushing yards (1,351) and rushing touchdowns (13) on 237 attempts. He transferred to Missouri, where he ranked second among FBS players with 1,649 rushing yards last season, a mark that broke the Tigers’ single-season record. He earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors, was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award and a consensus All-American while scoring 16 TDs and averaging 6.4 yards on his 256 rushing attempts. –Oklahoma not noticing newfound national respect A year ago, there were some valid questions about Brett Venables’ future at Oklahoma. After 6-7 campaigns in two of his first three seasons, the Sooners needed a breakthrough in 2025 for their coach’s sake. They delivered just that, finishing a 10-2 regular season, earning the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff and hosting a first-round game they lost to Alabama. Now, Venables enters Year 5 at Oklahoma on a cooler seat and with higher expectations. Quarterback John Mateer is back and fully recovered from the throwing hand injury that limited him last season. A number of key pieces from the Sooners’ stellar defense are also back this fall. The coach is trying not to give any of that attention much mind. “We focus on things that we can control,” Venables said. “Do you ever use that as a motivation for a guy to maybe humble a guy? Absolutely. But at the end of the day this is a game of performance, this is a game that’s about the work, and this is a game where it’s decided on the field.” His Sooners will get to prove their worth early in the season, playing at Michigan, at Georgia and facing Texas in Dallas in their first five games of the season. –Will Stein brings extreme confidence to Kentucky When it comes to Kentucky, football isn’t the first sport that comes to mind. But with the confidence that first-year coach Will Stein is bringing to the Wildcats, he certainly believes that will change. Stein, who rose to prominence as Oregon’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons, takes over a program that has won double-digit games just twice since 1977. As the 36-year-old Louisville native took the podium Monday, he took the opportunity presented by a reporter asking him why he believes he’ll win big in Lexington to demonstrate his strong self-belief. “I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said. “Because of me. I think I know what it takes. I’ve seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level. You’ve just got to believe, man. You’ve just got to put the ball down and play. There’s not really (much) else to be said.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #SEC #notebook #Missouri #Ahmad #Hardy #cleared #shooting #recovery #timeline #TBD](https://i3.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-1200,fo-auto/27891314.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | SEC notebook: Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy cleared after shooting; recovery timeline TBD Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) reacts to his first down pickup during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Jacksonville. Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared for football activities just over two months after being shot in the upper leg, head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Monday. Hardy was shot while attending an outdoor concert on May 10 in Laurel, Miss. “We anticipate he will make a recovery, but what that recovery will look like after having a bullet strike you is still to be determined,” Drinkwitz said Monday at SEC Media Days. “We do not know exactly what the return to play progression is because there’s not a lot of literature to that on this. “We do anticipate this return to play protocol could take anywhere from five-to-eight weeks, and at the end of the eight weeks, we still don’t know what the recovery will be — is he the same Ahmad Hardy as he was last year? My anticipation and what I’ve seen and the way he’s attacked his rehab, he’s going to be a better Ahmad Hardy than he was before.” Drinkwitz said Hardy likely learned an important lesson during the ordeal. “I think there’s a youthfulness feel of invincibility for all of these guys right now from 18 to 22 (years) old, and they’re empowered more now than they’ve ever been before, whether that’s financially or influence,” Drinkwitz said. “I think for Ahmad, there was that moment there where he realized he was mortal, and there could be really bad outcomes if you don’t make the right decisions consistently. “It was an unfortunate accident, incident and it wasn’t something he had any intention, nobody did. When you go to a concert, you don’t expect to be a victim of a random act of violence, especially gun violence. But I’ve been very, very proud of the way he has approached his recovery. This was a great opportunity for Ahmad to learn and for our student-athletes to learn. Also a great reminder there’s no place for gun violence in this world and that we need to do a better job of policing gun violence.” Missouri opens the 2026 season on Sept. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Columbia, Mo. That is approximately 6 1/2 weeks into the recovery timeline. Hardy, 20, is a Mississippi native. He began his career at Louisiana-Monroe, where he was named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after he led the conference in rushing yards (1,351) and rushing touchdowns (13) on 237 attempts. He transferred to Missouri, where he ranked second among FBS players with 1,649 rushing yards last season, a mark that broke the Tigers’ single-season record. He earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors, was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award and a consensus All-American while scoring 16 TDs and averaging 6.4 yards on his 256 rushing attempts. –Oklahoma not noticing newfound national respect A year ago, there were some valid questions about Brett Venables’ future at Oklahoma. After 6-7 campaigns in two of his first three seasons, the Sooners needed a breakthrough in 2025 for their coach’s sake. They delivered just that, finishing a 10-2 regular season, earning the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff and hosting a first-round game they lost to Alabama. Now, Venables enters Year 5 at Oklahoma on a cooler seat and with higher expectations. Quarterback John Mateer is back and fully recovered from the throwing hand injury that limited him last season. A number of key pieces from the Sooners’ stellar defense are also back this fall. The coach is trying not to give any of that attention much mind. “We focus on things that we can control,” Venables said. “Do you ever use that as a motivation for a guy to maybe humble a guy? Absolutely. But at the end of the day this is a game of performance, this is a game that’s about the work, and this is a game where it’s decided on the field.” His Sooners will get to prove their worth early in the season, playing at Michigan, at Georgia and facing Texas in Dallas in their first five games of the season. –Will Stein brings extreme confidence to Kentucky When it comes to Kentucky, football isn’t the first sport that comes to mind. But with the confidence that first-year coach Will Stein is bringing to the Wildcats, he certainly believes that will change. Stein, who rose to prominence as Oregon’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons, takes over a program that has won double-digit games just twice since 1977. As the 36-year-old Louisville native took the podium Monday, he took the opportunity presented by a reporter asking him why he believes he’ll win big in Lexington to demonstrate his strong self-belief. “I think because of me, to be honest,” Stein said. “Because of me. I think I know what it takes. I’ve seen it at the highest levels. I know what it takes to recruit at this level. You’ve just got to believe, man. You’ve just got to put the ball down and play. There’s not really (much) else to be said.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #SEC #notebook #Missouri #Ahmad #Hardy #cleared #shooting #recovery #timeline #TBD")
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