15 Minutes that divided Football Fans

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The laws of the game, set by ‌the ⁠International Football Association Board (IFAB), are clear. The ‘halftime interval’ should not exceed 15 minutes.

Yet, during the FIFA 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, on Sunday, 19 July, the halftime interval lasted about 30 minutes. It was in fact exactly 27 minutes and 27 seconds, according to USA Today.

Initially, when the world learned that FIFA planned, for the first time, a 30-minute halftime show during the World Cup Final at New York New Jersey Stadium—in the style of the NFL Super Bowl—the backlash was immediate.

Critics cited breaches of the Laws of the Game, risks to player health, and disruption to the match's rhythm. They argued that the extended break violated IFAB regulations, allowed players' muscles to cool down (increasing the risk of stiffness and second-half injuries), and reduced players' mental sharpness.

Also, making the fast-paced flow of soccer an "Americanized," highly commercialized event angered a number of traditional fans.

Three days before the final, both MSN and Yahoo Sports reported that FIFA had confirmed the halftime interval would last only 17 minutes—11 minutes for the musical performances and six minutes for stage setup and dismantling.

Even before I watched the show, I knew the announced line-up was simply too ambitious for the allotted time. However meticulous the planning, it was bound to overrun.

Could the music of Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS, Coldplay, Burna Boy and Gustavo Dudamel really be squeezed into just 11 minutes? Impossible, I thought.

And impossible, it was. 

The show overran just as, I am sure, many others around the world thought it would.

However, the important thing is this. All hell did not break loose. Floodgates did not burst open. Nothing spiraled out of control. Everything went smoothly, even though it took a few minutes more.

Many surprises were woven into the colourful and spectacular show. Brazilian football legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho joined Madonna before she performed her hit song Music, thrilling the spectators.

The Muppets—Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Animal—also made a special appearance regaling the young and old alike.

The PS22 Chorus, the viral public elementary school choir from Staten Island, New York, got a chance to perform alongside the fabulous band Coldplay. 

Gustavo Dudamel, the legendary Venezuelan conductor, brought together Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and the USA’s New York Philharmonic Orchestra for their first-ever joint collaboration.

Burna Boy, the celebrated Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer, performed with Shakira their now-famous song Dai Dai. 

The Italian slang expression, meaning “Come on!” or “Let’s go!”—similar to the Arabic Yalla—was released by the two artists in May 2026 as the official song of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Beyond entertainment, the halftime show also became a high-visibility global platform for the FIFA–Global Citizen partnership, designed to raise awareness, inspire philanthropic commitments, and generate public support for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

A portion of FIFA’s 2026 World Cup ticket revenue is directed to this fund, which aims to expand access to quality education and sports for children worldwide across nearly 200 countries.

Produced by Global Citizen alongside Live Nation and Done + Dusted, and curated and directed by Chris Martin of Coldplay, the event was well-designed to benefit the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

After organizing those 104 matches, between 48 countries, in 16 stadiums, in three countries, I am sure, we can all excuse FIFA for those 15 minutes.