The World Cup final will, for the first time, include a controversial halftime show, which will be shorter than expected.
How long will the World Cup final halftime show last? How much for singing?
New York/New Jersey is preparing to host the final game of the 2026 World Cup, which will bring the tournament to a close on Sunday when Spain and Argentina meet in the iconic stadium that has staged some of the biggest finales in sports history and will once again be the center of global attention.
For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the final will feature a halftime show. With performers including Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber set to take the stage, many expected the intermission to last around 30 minutes.
That speculation was fueled by the number of artists involved in the performance before either Spain lifts its second World Cup trophy or Argentina claims a fourth title and becomes back-to-back world champion after its triumph at Qatar 2022.
How long will the World Cup final halftime show last?
Those rumors have now been put to rest. On Friday, FIFA informed the Spanish and Argentine soccer federations that halftime will last just 17 minutes, not the 30 minutes many had anticipated because of the show.
According to the confirmation, around six of those 17 minutes will be used to assemble and remove the stage on the field at New York/New Jersey Stadium. That would leave approximately 11 minutes for the performance itself, keeping the overall break in line with FIFA’s traditional match schedule while still making room for the tournament’s first-ever halftime entertainment spectacle.
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