FIFA appear ready to push football into unfamiliar territory once again. after proposals to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams and the growing use of mandatory cooling breaks at major tournaments, world football’s governing body is now preparing another significant departure from tradition.
This time, it concerns the half-time interval in the biggest match in world football.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is expected to feature a Super Bowl-style entertainment show at half-time, a move that could see the break almost double in length and temporarily override one of football’s oldest laws.
What does football’s law actually say?
According to the IFAB Laws of the Game, the interval between the first and second half must not exceed 15 minutes.
The rule has remained largely untouched for decades and applies across every level of organised football worldwide.
However, FIFA are expected to extend that limit for Sunday’s World Cup final in order to accommodate a star-studded musical performance.
Why will the break be longer?
Sky Sports Chief Reporter Kaveh Solhekol explained that the planned entertainment simply cannot fit into football’s traditional 15-minute interval.
The performance is expected to feature some of the world’s biggest music stars, including names such as Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber, making it one of the most ambitious entertainment spectacles ever attached to a football match.
With stage construction, performances and dismantling all requiring additional time, the break is expected to last at least 25 minutes, with some estimates putting it close to 30 minutes.
While this would be a first for a FIFA World Cup final, it is not entirely without precedent.
During the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, organisers already experimented with a significantly longer interval.
That half time reportedly lasted 24 minutes and eight seconds, well beyond football’s official 15-minute allowance. the World Cup final is now expected to go even further.
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The move reflects FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s broader ambition to transform football’s biggest competitions into global entertainment events comparable to the NFL’s Super Bowl.
Rather than simply providing a short break for players and tactical adjustments, half-time is increasingly being viewed as another opportunity to attract global audiences, commercial partners and television viewers.
If successful, the World Cup final could establish a new benchmark for future FIFA showpiece events.
The proposed extended interval joins a growing list of major innovations introduced or discussed by FIFA in recent years.
Among them are:
- The proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams.
- The increased use of mandatory hydration breaks during matches played in extreme weather.
- New time management initiatives designed to reduce time wasting.
- Greater emphasis on entertainment and fan experience around FIFA competitions.
Each proposal has generated debate between football traditionalists and those who believe the sport must evolve with modern audiences.
Could this become the new normal?
For now, the extended half time is expected to apply only to the World Cup final. However, should the event prove successful commercially and logistically, it may encourage FIFA to consider similar entertainment packages at future finals or other flagship competitions.
Whether supporters embrace the spectacle or argue that it compromises football’s traditions remains to be seen.
One thing is certain, when the final whistle blows for the first half of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, fans may be waiting considerably longer than the customary 15 minutes before the action resumes.
