The half-time interval at Sunday's World Cup final is set to last up to 30 minutes, as FIFA prepares to stage an 11-minute Super Bowl-style show featuring Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber and K-pop boy band BTS – ignoring the 15-minute limit dictated by the game's law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
The performance, curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay, will take place at New York New Jersey Stadium during the break. Sources within FIFA initially suggested the interval would be around 20 to 25 minutes, but the Mirror reported that the show is now expected to stretch to half an hour. The IFAB, which states players are entitled to a half-time break "not exceeding 15 minutes", turned down a request from South American confederation CONMEBOL to extend it to 25 minutes, citing "negative impact on player welfare and safety resulting from a longer period of inactivity".
“FIFA extends World Cup final half-time to 30 minutes for Super Bowl-style show, ignoring 15-minute rule.”
The move has provoked fury among England supporters. Fil Sollof, 61, a Three Lions superfan, told Mirror Football: "Thirty minutes for half time is a joke. How can FIFA change the rules of the game just like that? It’s 15 minutes for half-time - it’s the same for all football games all over the world. I doubt people would mind if it happened to go a minute or two over. But this isn’t on. It’s a disgrace."
A FIFA spokesman confirmed the line-up, saying: "Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber and BTS will co-headline the historic FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show. The performance will be curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay and broadcast live to millions of fans around the world." ITV has confirmed it will broadcast the show, while the BBC reportedly plans to focus on commentary instead.
Meanwhile, English patriotism has been stirred by more than just the football. Oasis's Wonderwall, adopted as England's unofficial anthem after the team sang it following their first win against Croatia, is on the verge of becoming the number one song globally on Spotify. The track was streamed 3.8 million times on Sunday, including 379,000 plays in the UK, following the team's quarter-final win against Norway. Noel Gallagher, 59, who backed The Sun's campaign, said: "Wonderwall belongs to the people. And it was a magical moment between the people and the players."
But not everyone has been flying the flag. A Liberal Democrat-run council in Portsmouth ordered the removal of a St George's Cross flag from the balcony of a flat before England's semi-final against Argentina. Doorbell cam footage showed workers cutting the flag down. Reform UK councillor George Madgwick called it "shocking", while Suella Braverman labelled the decision "ridiculous". The council said the removal was to comply with its fire safety policy – despite its own guidance stating that "residents are free to hang flags responsibly on their own property". In Bristol, the Green-run council told residents not to put up England flags, warning they would not be "welcoming" and posed health and safety dangers. Residents on Torrington Avenue defied the order and adorned the 300-yard street with flags. Lib Dem-run Oxfordshire county council won a High Court injunction in June banning anyone from flying flags on or near public highways.
On the pitch, Spain booked their place in the final by beating France 2-0 in the first semi-final in Dallas. They will face either England or Argentina, who meet in Atlanta on Wednesday. The final kicks off at 15:00 local time (20:00 BST), with a closing ceremony starting at 13:30 local time featuring Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and IShowSpeed, and Jennifer Hudson singing the US national anthem.
For England fans hoping to see their team in the final, the extended half-time show may be yet another source of tension – or, if the Three Lions reach the decider, a chance to belt out Wonderwall even longer.
