Officials and football supporters banded together on Wednesday to voice their sharp criticism over FIFA potentially extending the 2026 World Cup final’s break up to 30 minutes this weekend to include the controversial “Super Bowl-style” half-time show.

Although the first-of-its-kind 11-minute showcase features a stellar lineup including Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and K-pop sensation BTS, die-hard football fans were outraged to see the international football body breaking the game’s rules to fit the star-studded interval during the World Cup-closing game.

While many blamed the host USA for playing its part in devolving an already extremely beloved sport “into commercial entertainment,” others came down hard on Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s President Gianni Infantino. The Swiss football administrator, also a close friend of US President Donald Trump, is already facing increased scrutiny over his alleged involvement in lifting American striker Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match suspension following a red card call during this year’s FIFA World Cup after the POTUS reached out to him.

ALSO READ

Is the 2026 FIFA World Cup final half-time show 25 minutes long?

Many viewers misconstrued news headlines about the final game’s half-time break. As popular social media accounts, including Pop Core, amplified the reports, misunderstood fans lost all calm in the comments section.

“FIFA will reportedly extend the World Cup Final halftime to 30 minutes for performances by Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber, breaking its 15-minute rule,” Pop Core reported on X. “The move aims to rival the Super Bowl.”

Will the half-time show really be 30 minutes long? The one-word answer is no.

The Telegraph and The Times reported that broadcasting networks like the BBC and ITV are bracing themselves to accommodate a 30-minute break during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final telecast.

However, the entire time off the game break will not be consumed by the not-so-popular Super Bowl-esque “half-time show.” Merely 11 minutes will be set aside for this show-stopping interval, while the other 15 minutes are already reserved for the usual mid-game analysis.

Moreover, each half of a football match features a three-minute hydration break. On top of that, the remaining time may be occupied by additional advertisements.

What does the official FIFA half-time break rule say?

As established by the sport’s governing body, the International Football Association Board, Law 7 of the IFAB Laws of the Games states that athletes are entitled to a half-time break “not exceeding 15 minutes.”

Even with the mid-game analysis and the 11-minute half-time show already adding up to at least a 25-minute-long break, this won’t be the first time FIFA has broken the long-standing rule. Half-time at last year’s Club World Cup, held in New Jersey (USA), also stretched to about 25 minutes, as artists such as Coldplay, Doja Cat, J Balvin, Emmanuel Kelly and Tems came out to perform.

How are fans reacting to the extended FIFA World Cup final half-time break?

Fans were almost offended to see reports suggesting that FIFA was launching its first-ever half-time show this year to “rival” the Super Bowl.

“‘To rival the superbowl’ world cup already had 1.4 billion viewers in 2022 while the superbowl only has 125M lmao,” a user scoffed in the comments section on X.

Another person chimed in: “There’s no “rivaling the Super Bowl”, literally only Americans follow Super Bowl. The World Cup finals viewership is 1.2 billion, while the Super Bowl is 125 million. Super Bowl is a LOCAL game.”

ALSO READ

British Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe, who once served as the chairman of Southampton Football Club, tweeted: “A FIFA-enforced thirty minute half-time to accommodate some dreadful Super-Bowl style show in the World Cup final is truly an abomination.”

Someone else pointed out: “I dont like it. It’s too much time, the players gonna cool down and lose concentration. The half time perfomances are good for the show but bad for the game, and the World Cup was always about the game…but they’re in USA sooooo show it is.”

Yet another like-minded person, who is also a BTS ARMY, opined: “I would love 30 minutes but this is literally bad for the football players bc it would cool them down. For something the break is 15 minutes. They should just do the performances at the beginning or end of the match rather than a half time show but that’s just my opinion.”

“The worst world cup so far, this is world football not pathetic american football that needs huge entertainment show to attract people, we football fans dgaf bout that, we just want football not some cheesy shows that nothing to do with the match itself,” added someone else.

Rising Infantino hate comes to the forefront

One of the much-reiterated comments particularly saw fans calling for the removal of the current FIFA president. “This is not good for football. Infantino must go, I support UEFA,” a person wrote on X.

In February, Infantino celebrated a decade in office. While addressing the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver in April, he confirmed that he would stand for re-election at next year’s gathering. If successful, this could end up extending his term to 15 years.

While he’d initially hoped his third term bid would go unopposed, an exclusive report by talkSPORT released this week suggests he is now facing a fight for the FIFA presidency. A shortlist of potential candidates for his replacement has also reportedly emerged.

Disclaimer: The content in this article is based on a viral social media discussion and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The opinions mentioned are personal to the user. This story does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of any specific opinion.