The World Cup final on Sunday will break with a century-old convention when the half-time interval stretches to as long as 30 minutes to accommodate an 11-minute musical spectacle modelled on the Super Bowl. European broadcasters are preparing for an extended pause that combines the standard 15 minutes of studio analysis with a performance headlined by Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy and the K-pop group BTS, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The show, a first for football’s showpiece match, will take place on a stage erected on the MetLife Stadium pitch in New Jersey, with four additional minutes allotted for set-up and dismantling.

The move pits FIFA’s commercial ambitions directly against the Laws of the Game, which are set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and cap any half-time interval at 15 minutes. IFAB rejected a 2021 proposal from the South American confederation CONMEBOL to extend the maximum to 25 minutes, citing a “negative impact on player welfare and safety resulting from a longer period of inactivity.” Despite that, CONMEBOL staged a 25-minute Shakira concert during the 2024 Copa América final in Miami, drawing a formal complaint from Colombia’s head coach, Néstor Lorenzo, who had earlier been sanctioned for his team’s late return from the break. FIFA itself exceeded the limit at last year’s Club World Cup, where the interval ran to 25 minutes for a performance by Coldplay, J Balvin and Doja Cat.

Viewed from European football circles, the extension is a clear encroachment on the sport’s regulatory framework. German and British reports note that FIFA has not publicly commented on the final duration, but organisers are said to be aiming for at least 20 minutes, with some outlets suggesting the break could reach half an hour. The three-minute hydration pauses already built into each half have drawn suspicion as potential vehicles for additional advertising, a concern echoed by analysts in London and Milan.

The half-time show is part of a broader entertainment package that includes a pre-match closing ceremony featuring Robbie Williams, Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger, with Jennifer Hudson singing the US national anthem. FIFA and the advocacy group Global Citizen have framed the event as a fundraiser for education access, with a dollar from each ticket sold going to the cause. In Mexico and Indonesia, coverage has focused on the novelty and the charitable dimension, while outlets in the Middle East and West Africa have reported the extended break as a fait accompli.

On the pitch, Spain await the winner of the England-Argentina semi-final. The extended interval will test the players’ ability to stay warm and focused, a concern that South American coaches have already raised. Whether the spectacle enhances the final or distorts its competitive rhythm will be debated long after the last note fades.