FIFA officially break laws of football during World Cup final

FIFA officially broke a strict law of football following the half-time whistle of the World Cup final.

After 39 days and 104 matches, the 2026 World Cup final officially kicked off at 20:00 BST on Sunday night at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Spain and Argentina are facing off in the final, with star players Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi making history with the largest age gap between players on either side of a World Cup final with 20 years and 19 days separating the pair.

Ahead of the match kicking off, Post Malone, Tom Cruise and even IShowSpeed all took part in the World Cup's official closing ceremony, with the 2026 World Cup making a series of drastic changes throughout the tournament to pre-match ceremonies.

But for the final things were taken a step further as the first ever half-time show took place during the break.

Much like the yearly tradition that takes place during half-time at the Super Bowl, the show featured performances from some of the biggest musical artists in the world.

Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, Madonna, BTS and even the Muppets all took part in the half-time performance, which was produced by Coldplay's Chris Martin.

The show was met with both excitement and frustration from fans, but regardless of your opinion, it's certainly caused controversy as it broke one of football's most famous rules.

As has always been the case, the break between the first and second halves of a match should last just 15 minutes.

The official rulebook from IFAB (International Football Association Board), states the break should “not exceed 15 minutes," but the World Cup final will break this law.

With such a big show planned for half-time of the World Cup final, the performance caused a delay to the second half starting.

The half-time show itself was supposed to last 11 minutes, but the time needed to build and take down the stage where the artists will perform will meant that the break was extended past the usual 15 minutes.

Instead, the half-time break lasted about twice as long, with the exact time between the referee blowing his whistle and the second half starting lasting 27 minutes and 22 seconds.

During the Club World Cup final last year, held at the same stadium, a 24-minute half-time break saw Doja Cat, Tems and J Balvin take to the stage.

Meanwhile Shakira was a part of a 26-minute break in the Copa America final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Fans slam FIFA for 'peak cringe' ahead of World Cup final

Despite the fact that FIFA put together a star-studded show ahead of the final kicking off, it's safe to say that fans watching from home certainly weren't impressed, with many taking to social media to criticise the performances.

Posting on X, one fan wrote: "That World Cup final intro was peak cringe. A Louis Vuitton box and Tom Cruise monologue? We were there for football, not a Hollywood ad."

Another claimed: “The worst closing ceremony ever. Even the fans look bored.”

READ MORE: Fans in genuine disbelief after seeing how much 'on-the-pitch' seat cost at World Cup final

While many criticised Hollywood star Cruise's message of unity following the various issues of fans and players having issues with travelling to matches throughout the World Cup this summer.

"Brought the world together. You banned Iran from entering your country until game day and banned a referee from turning up," one fan wrote.