With a real half-time show during the final, FIFA wants to further commercialize the 2026 World Cup

For romantic football fans with whom the heart starts beating faster when visiting expired stadiums, supporters singing and getting beer in the break, the message from FIFA chairman Gianni Infantino of Wednesday for frowns. In the tranquility of the 2026 World Cup in New Jersey, according to the model of the American Football final Super Bowl, a real half-time show for the first time will be performed. The moment the players return to the changing rooms, a group of pop artists have to entertain the tens of thousands of attendees and millions of TV viewers. In the words of Infantino, the show is « a historic moment. »

The World Cup takes place in the summer of 2026 in the US, Mexico and Canada. It was already known that the tournament no longer consists of 32 but 48 participants. The argument of FIFA: the more participating countries, the more football joy worldwide. It is also clear that the country expansion is very lucrative for the World Football Association. The yields are made due to higher sponsor and mediaes estimated at $ 11 billion (converted more than 10.1 billion euros). The FIFA yielded around $ 7.5 billion in Qatar in Qatar.

New fans

With the half-time show, FIFA wants to address new fans with the help of pop stars. To tie it, the Bond engaged the British Coldplay singer Chris Martin, who has to compile the 'line-up' together with his manager. There is probably no shortage of spectacle: performances by Coldplay have been characterized for years by loads of confetti, colored rubber balls and scorching flame throwers. Whether the British band itself will perform is not clear.

It is also not yet known how long the show will take, but the logistics pressure will be great if FIFA makes no exception to the usual rest time of fifteen minutes. The performance of Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl last month lasted thirteen minutes, but with construction and finishing times of the stage, the players got about half an hour of rest.

Although entertainment around football matches often does not include more than Latje shooting, music shows are not entirely new. During the Copa America final from 2024 between Argentina and Colombia, Shakira gave another 25 minutes. And since 2017, the Champions League final is preceded with a performance by pop artists such as The Black Eyed Peas, Dua Lipa, Burna Boy and Camila Cabello. That is not always an undivided success – Cabello could « not believe » that fans Joel during her concert.

The upcoming half-time show is a big step in the further commercialization around football matches-light shows prior to matches in large European stadiums are already common-and seems to be a way to make Americans warm for the sport that they, although the national football competition MLS wins in popularity, often ignore. Even if that goal is not achieved, it is expected that a large part of the world's population will still be viewing the show. Viewed according to FIFA 1.5 billion people The World Cup final of 2022.

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