Shakira is set to perform during the half-time show (Image: Getty)
FIFA have been forced to cut their controversial World Cup final half-time show after running into issues that would violate the laws of football. Spain and Argentina play out the showpiece international match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, but a host of famous faces from the celebrity world are set to feature on the pitch too.
Not dissimilar to NFL’s Super Bowl, FIFA have introduced a half-time show with a host of musical acts, curated by Coldplay’s James Martin. Scheduled to perform are Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and K-pop band BTS but only after the governing body were forced to scale back their plans.
Earlier this week, FIFA encountered backlash after reports emerged that the half-time show could run for up to 30 minutes, which would constitute a breach of the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) Laws of the Game.
Under IFAB laws, players are entitled to a half-time interval “not exceeding 15 minutes”, with concerns raised that a prolonged break would require both teams to complete fresh warm-ups before returning to the pitch.
However, FIFA has confirmed to both Spain and Argentina that, while it will still breach those laws, the half-time interval will now last a total of 17 minutes, rather than half an hour. The performance itself has been scaled back to fit within an 11-minute slot, with six minutes set aside for the construction and removal of the stage.
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This follows last year’s Club World Cup final — also staged at the MetLife Stadium — which featured a 24-minute half-time show headlined by Coldplay, Doja Cat, J Balvin and Tems, amongst others.
When the World Cup final half-time show was announced earlier this year, reports emerged that both the BBC and ITV would decline to broadcast it, instead focusing on first-half analysis.
IShowSpeed performs in the opening ceremony. (Image: Getty Images)
However, it has now been confirmed that both broadcasters will carry coverage of the show, with ITV scheduling it around its commercial breaks and the BBC planning to interrupt its pundits’ half-time discussion to air the performances.
Ahead of Sunday’s showpiece, FIFA president Gianni Infantino hailed the half-time show as a “groundbreaking spectacle”, adding that it will “celebrate football, music and our shared values, ensuring a legacy that transcends the final whistle”.
A closing ceremony is also scheduled to take place 90 minutes before kick-off, with Robbie Williams, Jennifer Hudson and Nicole Scherzinger amongst those set to perform.
At the tournament’s outset, the opening matches in each host nation were marked by musical ceremonies, with Shakira and Burna Boy topping the bill for the pre-match festivities when the competition launched in Mexico City last month.
Katy Perry delivered a performance ahead of the USA’s opening match against Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium, while Alanis Morissette and Michael Buble graced the stage in Toronto as Canada faced Bosnia-Herzegovina.