Overview
- Organisers are proposing an extended half‑time of about 25 to 30 minutes for the World Cup final to allow assembly and disassembly of a centre‑field stage and staging of musical performances.
- The proposed interval would exceed IFAB’s Laws of the Game, which guarantee players a half‑time no longer than 15 minutes, creating a clear regulatory tension.
- Reports name high‑profile performers for the program and pre‑match ceremony, including Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS, Coldplay (with Chris Martin curating), Laura Pausini, Robbie Williams and a Tom Cruise appearance.
- Organisers point to a recent precedent at MetLife Stadium when the 2025 Club World Cup final had a 24‑minute interval, and they say the performance portion itself will run roughly 10 minutes.
- Fans have voiced strong displeasure that the spectacle changes the match experience and the dispute raises the prospect of formal pushback or clarification from football’s rule‑makers and organisers before the final.