The World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey got something football had stubbornly refused until now: a half-time show in the style of the Super Bowl. And not just any show - directed by Chris Martin, with Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Coldplay on a stage in the middle of the pitch, before more than 82,000 spectators.

Shakira sang the official anthem „Dai Dai", maestro Gustavo Dudamel conducted, and among the legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho appeared. There was a moving moment too - a tribute to the late Pelé. And yes, the characters from „Sesame Street" sang alongside Dudamel. When a billion-dollar institution wants to tell you it thinks of everyone, this is what it looks like: from a world-class conductor to a yellow plush dog, all in a single frame.

The closing ceremony was no more modest. Post Malone, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini sang the official song „Desire". Jennifer Hudson performed the American anthem, María Becerra the Argentine one. The trophy was handed over by Andrés Iniesta, Carlos Alcaraz and Mario Kempes - a mix of football, tennis and history that FIFA loves because it looks expensive.

Tom Cruise gave a speech about the unifying power of football. „This sport belongs to the whole world", the actor said, „it's a language that connects people". Sounds lovely. The question no one on the stage asked is whether a sport that unites 48 nations really belongs to the people who watch it - or to those who sell the tickets, the rights and the ad minutes around it.

FIFA invited 130 celebrities - the biggest guest list in the tournament's history. Mick Jagger, Dua Lipa, Brad Pitt, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, the Beckham family, Zinédine Zidane. King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princess Leonor in the box. The spectacle was perfectly measured, every frame deliberate. The Balkans know this scene by heart: when the show is bigger than the game itself, it's worth asking who actually paid for the ticket - and who is footing the bill.