BTS performs during the halftime show of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday (local time). [AP]
BTS performs during the halftime show of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday (local time). [AP]

Chung Tae-young, vice chairman of Hyundai Card, attended the 2026 North and Central America World Cup final in person and shared his impressions, saying the halftime show fell short of the Super Bowl's.

Chung posted on his SNS account Monday, saying he was glad to see BTS take the stage but had reservations about the production. "The halftime break is a formal part of the rules of football, so I'm not sure it's right to extend it however you like — but either way, it was good to see BTS," he wrote. He added that "perhaps because it was football's first halftime show, the overall production was simply no match for the Super Bowl's."

Chung posted video footage of BTS's performance and appeared to have watched the Spain-Argentina final live at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey that day.

He was more generous about the pre-match ceremony, writing: "An American-style World Cup final opening ceremony — similar to the Super Bowl, but far more spectacular."

[AP]
[AP]

On the match itself, Chung wrote: "A clash between the two strongest teams in the world — Messi and Yamal, right there in front of me. Messi's last World Cup, Yamal's first. Two legends of Barcelona, old and new, fighting for their country's honor in the final. Has there ever been a more dramatic final than this?"

He went on to say, "I was curious how Argentina's passion would square off against Spain's organization, but when it came down to it, Spain dominated so completely that I couldn't feel any of the narrative Argentina had built up over the years."

The halftime show was headlined by Chris Martin of British band Coldplay, followed by Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber.

The show ran for 27 minutes, however, sparking controversy over the delay to play. The standard halftime break is 15 minutes, and the performance itself was scheduled to last 12, but time overran due to the setup and removal of stage equipment. Some critics argued the extended break disrupted the tactical rhythm and momentum of the match.


ygmoon@heraldcorp.com