Half-Time at World Cup Final Lasts Over 27 Minutes Amid Celebrity Performances
Half-time at the World Cup final lasted 27 minutes and 19 seconds after the ‘Super Bowl style’ show delayed the resumption of the match between Argentina and Spain.
Organisers Fifa had assured both teams before the final that the half-time show, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and featuring Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Burna Boy, would only last 11 minutes. They indicated that the time needed for assembling and dismantling the stage at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey would bring the expected break to about 20 minutes.
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However, the delay to the World Cup final proved to be much longer than expected, leading Fifa to break their own rules. The half-time show also featured cameos from Brazil legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, actor Jason Sudeikis of Ted Lasso, and iconic characters Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. Former England captain Wayne Rooney remarked on BBC that he found it “crap”.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina faced a 27-minute delay before resuming the World Cup final (Getty)
The laws of the game, governed by Ifab (the International Football Association Board), state that half-time breaks should “not exceed 15 minutes.” In this instance, there were over 27 minutes between referee Slavko Vincic’s whistle at the end of the first half and the start of the second.
There was a precedent set from last year’s Club World Cup final, also organised by Fifa and held in the same venue, where the show lasted 24 minutes, featuring performances by Coldplay, J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems, and Emmanuel Kelly.
The following year, the 2024 Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia in Miami, organised by the South American confederation Conmebol, saw a performance from Shakira that lasted 25 minutes.
(Reuters)
(Reuters)
There were warnings that an extended World Cup half-time break could lead to an increased risk of injuries. Dr. Liam Harper, a senior lecturer in physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport, told the Press Association that a reduction in muscle temperature “will be potentially more pronounced” due to an extended break.
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The World Cup final also kicked off six minutes late, following a performance by Robbie Williams, the singing of the national anthem by Jennifer Hudson, a bizarre pre-game speech by actor Tom Cruise, and a ‘let’s get ready to rumble’ build-up by ring announcers the Buffer brothers – Michael and Bruce.