World Cup final half-time could stretch to 30 minutes as FIFA tests its 15-minute rule
The 2026 World Cup final on Sunday will stage an 11-minute musical show with Madonna, Shakira and BTS, but broadcasters expect the half-time break to reach 20–30 minutes, far beyond the IFAB limit of 15 minutes.
A Super Bowl-style show in New Jersey
FIFA will bring a concert to the field at MetLife Stadium during the half-time break of the 2026 World Cup final. The performance, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, is designed to rival the famous Super Bowl interval. The line-up includes Madonna, Shakira, K-pop boy band BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus, along with Muppets and Sesame Street characters. The show itself is scheduled to last 11 minutes.
How long will the break really last?
Multiple reports indicate the total half-time pause will go well beyond the regulatory 15 minutes. The BBC expects a break of between 20 and 25 minutes. The Athletic cites sources pointing to “around twenty minutes,” while The Times reports a full half-hour. Dutch public broadcaster NOS is preparing for at least 25 minutes because stage assembly and removal alone would take about 14 minutes.
The half-time will not last 15 minutes, but at least 25.
Just that alone would require 14 minutes.
One option under discussion is a normal 15-minute interval followed by the 11-minute show, which would total 26 minutes. FIFA has not yet confirmed the final duration.
- BBC report (minimum)
- 20 minutes
- The Times report
- 30 minutes
- The Athletic report
- 20 minutes
- 2025 Club World Cup
- 24 minutes
- IFAB rule maximum
- 15 minutes
The rulebook says 15 minutes
The IFAB Laws of the Game state that the half-time interval “does not exceed 15 minutes.” In 2021, IFAB rejected a proposal to extend it to 25 minutes, citing player safety.
negative impact on player welfare and safety resulting from a longer period of inactivity
FIFA already broke the limit at last year’s Club World Cup final, also held at MetLife Stadium, where the break lasted 24 minutes for a concert featuring Coldplay, J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems and Emmanuel Kelly. At the 2024 Copa America, Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo was fined after his team returned one minute late from a 25-minute Shakira half-time show.
Pre-match ceremony and charity
The final kicks off at 15:00 local time (20:00 BST) on Sunday 19 July. A closing ceremony starts 90 minutes earlier, at 13:30 local time, with performances by Robbie Williams, Tom Cruise, Nicole Scherzinger, Laura Pausini and IShowSpeed. Jennifer Hudson will sing the US national anthem. Since the tournament began, nearly 50 million dollars have been raised from ticket sales for FIFA’s World Cup fund and the Global Citizen education initiative.
- Closing ceremony begins, with performances by Robbie Williams, Tom Cruise, Nicole Scherzinger and others
- Kick-off, preceded by US national anthem sung by Jennifer Hudson
Broadcasters brace for a long pause
Broadcasters including the BBC, ITV and RTÉ are now planning for a 30-minute half-time window, according to the Irish Independent. Each half already includes three-minute hydration breaks that some observers view as Trojan horses for extra advertising. FIFA describes the spectacle as a “historical celebration at the crossroads of sport, music and world-wide impact,” though critics call it another step in the Americanisation of football.
