The World Cup final, set to take place on Sunday, will feature an unusually long half-time break. Organisers have confirmed that the interval will last between 20 and 25 minutes, with an 11-minute show taking place during this time. The show will be co-headlined by Madonna, Shakira, and K-pop boy band BTS, and will feature other top artists such as Justin Bieber and Burna Boy.
According to sources within Fifa, the normal 15-minute half-time break will be followed by the planned 11-minute show. However, this is subject to change, with one option being to extend the break to 24 minutes, as seen in last year's Club World Cup final.
The laws of the game, governed by Ifab, state that players are entitled to a half-time break 'not exceeding 15 minutes'. However, it appears that Fifa is willing to bend these rules in order to provide an exciting entertainment experience for fans.
The World Cup final will kick-off at 15:00 local time (20:00 BST), with a closing ceremony starting at 13:30 local time (18:30 BST). The ceremony will feature performances by Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and IShowSpeed.