‘Ego clash and demands’: Backstage ‘feud erupted’ at World Cup between Justin Bieber and Madonna

It would seem there was a bit of drama between Madonna and Justin Bieber about the World Cup final half-time show this weekend. Both music icons took to the pitch during the game, but backstage apparently things had turned messy.

At the midpoint of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina yesterday, the pitch was quickly transformed into a stage. As the players left, acts such as Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shakira took to the field to perform.

But, if reports are to believed, what was going on off the field was more to write home about. Insiders have told The Daily Mail that “tensions grew” between Justin Bieber and Madonna, and it turned into a “tug of war” over who would “own the moment” more. The sources put the feud down to a “clash of egos” and “diva demands” behind the scenes.

via ANP/Shutterstock

“Neither wants to walk away feeling like they played second fiddle,’ a source told the publication. “Their different approaches have created real tension behind the scenes.” They added Chris Martin, who created the whole thing, was left “trying to figure it out before it [got] out of hand.”

Apparently, the two artists were using the World Cup stage for very different things. As we saw with his Coachella set, Justin Bieber has been laid-back with his approach recently, and was reportedly using the half-time show as a “reset” to remind audiences of who he is. Whereas Madonna is known for huge sets, massive shows and spectacles.

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“His mindset is simple,” the source said of Justin. “Don’t overcomplicate it, don’t take unnecessary risks, and absolutely don’t have a performance that becomes a story for all the wrong reasons.” They added: “He wants this to be about the music. Clean, controlled, no distractions.”

via Jose Breton/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Madonna, however, is not the same. “She believes a stage this massive calls for something people will be talking about for years,” the source said. “In her mind, a World Cup Final performance should be unforgettable – not safe.”

The publication has claimed this “push and pull” made the stage feel like a “negotiation rather than a collaboration”. They said: “Finding the balance between Madonna’s instinct for spectacle and Justin’s desire to play it straight has been the biggest challenge of the entire production. It will be interesting to see who ends up getting the results they want.”

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook. Featured image via Jose Breton/NurPhoto/Shutterstock and ANP/Shutterstock.