FIFA’s plans for a Super Bowl-style halftime show at the 2026 World Cup final have sparked controversy because the proposed break could last as long as 30 minutes – double the maximum permitted under football’s Laws of the Game.
Under IFAB Law 7 – The Duration of the Match, the half-time interval must not exceed 15 minutes. While competition rules can set the exact length of the break, it cannot be extended beyond that limit without changing the Laws themselves. The restriction exists partly for player welfare, as longer breaks allow muscles to cool down and can increase the risk of injury when play resumes.
Despite this, FIFA is pressing ahead with plans for the tournament’s first-ever World Cup final halftime show. The entertainment will feature Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber and Burna Boy, with Coldplay’s Chris Martin curating the production. Coldplay will also perform alongside conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus.
The irony has not been lost on critics. FIFA governs the world’s biggest football tournament, but the Laws of the Game are written by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), whose Law 7 clearly limits half-time to 15 minutes. Unless that law is formally amended or an exception is approved, a 30-minute interval would appear to be at odds with the very rules the sport is built upon.
For now, it seems the show will go on – even if it means stretching football’s laws as much as the halftime break itself.
But if there is one abiding lesson to be learned from the 2026 World Cup, it is that FIFA has little concern for the sanctity of the game or the rules, especially when there is a buck or two – or several millions – to be made.
