Conflict between Madonna and Justin Bieber backstage at the 2026 World Cup show

Hanoi [Vietnam], July 21: The first-ever halftime show at a World Cup final was expected to be a landmark event combining music and sports. However, behind the scenes, disagreements emerged between Madonna and Justin Bieber as they pursued completely different performance styles, The Sun reported on July 19.
The first halftime show of the World Cup final, held on July 19th (local time) at the New York New Jersey Stadium (USA), was designed to bring together top stars from the global music scene. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin served as the artistic curator, bringing together a star-studded lineup including Madonna , Justin Bieber , Shakira, and BTS.
Differences in stage design approaches
However, according to the Daily Mail , the atmosphere backstage was far from smooth. Sources indicate that Madonna's extravagant staging clashed with Justin Bieber's desire for a simple, polished, and tightly controlled performance.
"Neither of them wanted to leave the stage feeling like they were just playing a supporting role. Their two different approaches created real tension backstage, forcing Chris Martin to find a way to compromise before things got out of control," the source said.
According to sources, Justin Bieber sees the World Cup stage as an opportunity to reaffirm the value of his music, while avoiding a performance that would draw negative attention. "Justin's thinking is simple: Don't overcomplicate things, don't take unnecessary risks, and absolutely don't let the performance become a topic of negative discussion," the source said. This direction is believed to be influenced by the mixed reactions following the "Baby" singer's comeback performance at the Coachella music festival in April. At that time, the male singer chose a simple performance style, but it divided the audience. Some argued that the staging lacked impact and was completely overshadowed by Sabrina Carpenter's elaborately produced performance at the same event.
Meanwhile, a minimalist performance style is considered unsuitable for Madonna. "According to Madonna, a stage on the scale of the World Cup needs to create something that people will talk about for years to come. In her mind, a performance at the World Cup final needs to be unforgettable, not too safe," a source shared.
The source also confirmed that Madonna always respects Justin Bieber, but has no intention of being overshadowed: "Madonna has no intention of letting anyone outshine her. She respects Justin and hopes the show will be a huge success, but she also doesn't want it to become Justin's show. If she feels he's taking things too safely, Madonna won't hesitate to object, and in fact, she has done so."
Despite reports of tension behind the scenes, both Madonna and Justin Bieber made their mark during the halftime show.
Madonna opened the show with the song "Music" on an off-road vehicle driven by two Brazilian football legends, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Afterwards, all three appeared live at a stadium in New York, New Jersey (USA).
Following the program, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel performed with the Muppets characters, while BTS delivered their hit song " Dynamite ." Actor Jason Sudeikis also appeared as Ted Lasso alongside Brendan Hunt to introduce Justin Bieber as he took the stage with his guitar.
Shakira then livened up the atmosphere with her song "Dai Dai ," before Chris Martin and the children's choir closed the show with a song conveying a message of love and unity.
The event also attracted the presence of US President Donald Trump along with many famous stars such as Tom Brady, Timothee Chalamet, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
Source: Thanh Nein Newspaper