The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) is set to breach regulations with an extended half-time show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, expected to last about 25 minutes on July 19, 2026.

According to the Laws of the Game instituted by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), players are entitled to a half-time break “not in excess of 15 minutes.”

However, this rule is about to be broken, with the half-time show at the World Cup final expected to last around 25 minutes, raising concerns about timing and FIFA’s priorities in safeguarding the integrity of the sport.

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An 11-minute Super Bowl-style show, co-headlined by Madonna, Shakira, and K-pop boy band BTS, will take place during the interval at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Justin Bieber was recently added to the lineup for Sunday’s performance, which also includes Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay, with singer Chris Martin curating the show.

Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and IShowSpeed are also set to perform as part of the ceremony, while Jennifer Hudson will sing the United States national anthem.

The World Cup final will kick off at 15:00 local time (20:00 BST), preceded by a closing ceremony starting at 13:30 local time (18:30 BST).

SB/JE

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