To the surprise of nobody, halftime at the 2026 World Cup lasted longer than FIFA had claimed.

Ahead of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, soccer’s global governing body stated that halftime would last no more than 17 minutes after receiving criticism for including a halftime show during the final for the first time in tournament history.

A halftime show that stretched the break

Whirlwind performances by Justin Bieber, BTS, Madonna and Shakira were squeezed into a period of around 11 minutes at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, although setting up and dismantling the stage, and adverbs, meant the halftime interval extended beyond the promised 17 minutes.

Finally, 27 minutes and 18 seconds after the halftime whistle was blown at the end of the first half, the players reemerged for the second period.

History was made, and it took a little longer than planned.

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