The reported runtime of the performance featuring Justin Bieber, Shakira, and Madonna is 30 minutes, which far exceeds the standard break between halves.

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For something titled the "Laws of the Game," FIFA`s rules don`t appear that strict. The 2026 FIFA World Cup reportedly plans to amend the Laws` allotted 15 minutes for halftime in the final match to accommodate a Super Bowl-size performance fitting of this year`s location. The show will feature performances from Justin Bieber, Madonna, Burna Boy, Shakira, Coldplay, characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets, Gustavo Dudamel of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and K-pop sensation BTS.

How FIFA even plans to fit in all those performers in just one halftime show is another question entirely. The half-hour break will also need to allot time for game analysis, commentary, and commercials. Plus, if that wasn`t enough, FIFA will broadcast a 90-minute closing-ceremony show before the final match. Additional performances and appearances from Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, Laura Pausini, and IShowSpeed will take place. Jennifer Hudson will sing the U.S. national anthem, and Tom Cruise will ... do something!

The 2026 FIFA World Cup halftime show takes place on Sunday July 19, 2026, when Spain plays the winner of Argentina vs. England. The match will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, home of the NFL`s New York Giants and New York Jets franchises. The game starts at 3:00 p.m. ET, with Fox remaining the official broadcaster. The game will also stream on Fox One, the Fox Sports website, and Telemundo for Spanish-language coverage.

According to Variety, the halftime show is meant to benefit the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising money to support Venezuela following two massive earthquakes that struck the country this summer.

Maybe FIFA should allot even more time for ... whatever this is.

But the oddest bit about the supersized halftime show is how fixated soccer fans are on the length of the broadcast. Critics were already calling out the new hydration breaks, as if disrupting a single second of play to drink water in 100 degree heat was a bad idea.

"I can understand it when it`s ... a really hot climate," Norway coach Ståle Solbakken told Yahoo! News. "But I don`t like it otherwise. I think it`s unnecessary."

Players and coaches from the Netherlands, Japan, and Spain have commented on the breaks as well, including their association with commercials. Panama manager Thomas Christiansen stated after the team`s loss to Ghana, "The weather conditions, it was not hot, but we have to accept that ... everything advertised on the television is what [is] paying [for] all these things."

So you can imagine why a 15-minute halftime show expanding to 30 minutes would drum up some resistance as well. Especially since it`s the first time that FIFA is putting on a halftime show for a World Cup final. That also means a stage will need to be set up and dismantled on the pitch ... which can lead to even more complications.

Maybe that`s why the halftime show`s lineup is so stacked. It might take Kermit the Frog and Justin Bieber singing along to Shakira`s "Waka Waka" just to please everyone. That, or Tom Cruise will need to score a goal from space.