Nigerian Grammy Award-winning singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, made history on Sunday night as the first African artiste to perform at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup Final Halftime Show.
The performance took place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the US, during the final of the 2025 edition of the tournament.
Tems headlined the 15-minute show alongside global stars Doja Cat and J Balvin, with surprise appearances from Coldplay and Emmanuel Kelly.
The show was co-produced by FIFA and Global Citizen. The performance opened with J Balvin’s hits “Mi Gente” and “Reggaeton,” followed by Tems’ Grammy-winning track, “Love Me JeJe.”
Doja Cat took the stage next with her chart-topper “Woman,” while Coldplay closed the segment with “A Sky Full of Stars,” joined by Emmanuel Kelly.
Tems thrilled both football and music fans with her vocals and stage presence. While she hasn’t commented on the performance as of this report, it adds to her growing global streak — from debuting at the Met Gala to featuring on major Hollywood soundtracks.
The final itself was equally memorable, as Chelsea stunned European champions Paris Saint-Germain with a dominant 3-0 victory. Cole Palmer starred for the English club, scoring two goals and assisting Joao Pedro’s finish — all in the first half.
Despite their Champions League success and a 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the final, PSG were unable to recover and ended the match with ten men after João Neves was sent off late on.
The event drew over 81,000 spectators, including former U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, adding to the spectacle’s grandeur.
With this win, Chelsea became the first-ever champions of FIFA’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup, rounding off a season that also saw them lift the UEFA Conference League and secure a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.
AFP
