In brief
- FIFA's first World Cup final half-time show has sparked criticism over reports the break could last up to 30 minutes.
- Under International Football Association Board rules, the half-time break should be no longer than 15 minutes.
This year's FIFA World Cup final is getting the Super Bowl treatment, with a half-time show headlined by Justin Bieber alongside Madonna, Shakira, and BTS.
But the 11-minute performance is not without its critics, as the break between Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium on Monday morning (AEST) is expected to stretch well beyond the 15-minute interval permitted under International Football Association Board laws.
FIFA has bent the rules before. Last year's Club World Cup final featured a 25-minute half-time break to accommodate performances by J Balvin, Doja Cat, and Tems.
The Times, citing broadcast sources, reported the World Cup final half-time break could last up to 30 minutes.
However, The Athletic reported FIFA was targeting a 20-minute interval, leaving just nine minutes to assemble and dismantle the on-pitch stage.
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FIFA said the show will support its Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise US$100 million ($143 million) to help children around the world access education and football.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the performance would be "definitely the biggest stage ever", with "a couple of billion" people expected to watch.
The show will also feature characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets.
For a US audience, a blockbuster half-time show is nothing new.
The NFL's Super Bowl half-time show has evolved into one of the world's most-watched musical events and a major pop culture spectacle.
But staging a performance during the World Cup final marks a significant departure from football tradition, prompting criticism from players, journalists and fans.
"Disgraceful again by FIFA… people watch the sport because they love football, not everything else that surrounds it. This will increase the likelihood of injuries/poor performance in second half when you’re cooling down that much," former A-League player Stefan Mauk said on X.
The Telegraph's Jason Burt wrote: "FIFA appears to be on a mission to Americanise football into soccer.
"The headliners are, and always should be, out on the pitch wearing shirts, shorts, socks and football boots and kicking a ball with the aim of scoring a goal.
"That is it. That is all that matters. If it was not the case, football would not be so popular. The rest is greed with football in danger of eating itself."
Football journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor wrote on X: "A 30 minute half time show is obviously nonsense for all sorts of conditioning and legislative reasons, but in plain terms it’s yet another instance of the football coming second."
The match will be at 5am Monday morning (AEST), which you can watch live and free on SBS and SBS On Demand.
— With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse news agency.
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