Justin Bieber stepped into the World Cup buildup in New York and came away perfect, scoring five out of five penalty kicks at the Fanatics Fan Festival in Manhattan. Novak Djokovic and Tom Brady watched from nearby as the 32-year-old moved through each attempt without a miss, a small on-site stunt that now hangs off the same weekend as FIFA's controversial half-time show.
The performance mattered because Bieber is not just a celebrity sighting on the edge of the event. He is a soccer fan, has frequently been seen wearing an Arsenal jersey, and is set to perform at FIFA's half-time show during Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. That puts him at the center of a match that will close the 2026 FIFA World Cup after weeks of soccer across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The footage drew a quick comparison from EssentiallySports, which likened Bieber's perfect run to Lionel Messi. That comparison carries its own edge: Messi became the first player to miss two penalty kicks in the same World Cup, against Egypt in the last 16 and against Austria in the group stages, even though he also scored from the spot in Argentina's 2022 World Cup final win over France in Qatar. Bieber did not touch that history, but the clip was enough to pull him into it.
FIFA's halftime tradition has long been built on spectacle, and the names attached to it have made that clear. Madonna opened the World Cup halftime show with her 2000 hit, and Ronaldo and Ronaldinho joined her. Gustavo Dudamel led an orchestra through the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, while Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams and others performed anthems. Post Malone brought an old hit and a new tune, and Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini performed FIFA's official anthem, Desire. Tom Cruise also gave a hype speech in the closing ceremony before Sunday.
That history helps explain why the half-time show is still described as controversial even as Bieber is assigned to it. The friction is not about whether there will be stars; it is about whether a World Cup final should carry a pop-culture showcase at all. For Bieber, the day now points in one direction: the penalty kicks were the warm-up, and the halftime stage in New Jersey is the next test.
