The World Cup final between Spain and England or Argentina, on Sunday, July 19 at 21:00 CEST, 20:00 BST (15:00 local time in New York) will begin an hour and a half before kickoff with a closing ceremony with Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and iShowSpeed performing, and with Jennifer Hudson singing the US national anthem. The North American World Cup will end in a very... North American way, with lots of guests, entertainment, and a half-time show inspired by the Super Bowl and other competitions, which could actually break the rules of football.
According to the laws of the game by the International Football Association Board(IFAB), players are entitled to a half-time break "not exceeding 15 minutes". That is true almost all the time, but for the final, with the large variety of shows they are preparing, the half-time break could last up to 30 minutes.
In order to have a big musical performance in the centre of the pitch, the installation and dismantling of the stages must be done very quickly, but it still takes time. This year, Chris Martin has been the "curator" of a show that will include Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay.
Last year, the half-time break in the Club World Cup final, in the same stadium, the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, close to New York, lasted 24 minutes with performance by Coldplay, J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems, and Emmanuel Kelly.