By David Skilling | 2025-03-11

FIFA’s World Cup Final Halftime Show: A Commercial Move at the Expense of Football Culture?

When FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that the World Cup final would feature a Super Bowl-style halftime show, football fans reacted with overwhelming negativity.

To many, this feels like yet another attempt to commercialise the sport without considering if it’s something the fans want, prioritizing spectacle over the game itself. I’ve noticed some sports fans not immediately understanding why this is a problem, and why should they? Especially those from the United States when it’s something they’re familiar with. Many point to the success of the NFL’s halftime show as proof that it enhances the experience.

But football is not the NFL. Not in the way it’s played, not in the way it’s consumed, and not in the way fans experience it. And that’s exactly why this move feels forced.

This article isn’t about bashing the NFL or American sports culture, on the contrary, I’m a big fan and go to a lot of U.S. sporting events. It’s just about explaining why the football community, globally, and even within the U.S. is pushing back on this decision.

Let’s Start With Why FIFA Wants This.
From a business perspective, FIFA’s decision makes sense. Unlike UEFA, which generates billions annually from the Champions League, Europa League, and Euros (for both the men’s and women’s game), FIFA’s biggest financial moment comes just once every four years with the World Cup.

This is their chance to cash in, and they’re going all in, expanding tournament sizes, increasing sponsorship opportunities, and now, adding a halftime show to maximize TV revenue and brand exposure.

We can’t deny it, the U.S. sports industry knows how to make money. In just a few years, we’ve seen Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United go from competing with the Dallas Cowboys in brand valuations to the Cowboys now being worth more than double that of Real Madrid. In fact, 11 U.S. sports teams now sit between the Cowboys and Real Madrid in financial rankings. Considering football is the most-watched sport globally, that’s an impressive feat by the U.S. sports business machine.

FIFA sees the NFL model and wants a piece of that. The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most-watched entertainment events in the world, and FIFA likely believes replicating that can make the World Cup even bigger.

But here’s the problem: football doesn’t need it.

Football Is Not the NFL And That’s the Issue.
The biggest problem with adding a halftime show to the World Cup final is that football and the NFL are fundamentally different sports, with different rhythms, structures, and demands on players.

Game Flow & Physical Impact
In football, the game is played in continuous 45-minute halves, with minimal stoppages. Players rely on rhythm, flow, and sustained high-intensity exertion, making stamina and endurance critical. While teams have pre-planned strategies, formations, and tactical instructions, the game itself is constantly evolving. Players must execute their game plan in a continuous, free-flowing environment, adjusting in real time to the opposition’s movements, pressure, and momentum shifts. Over the course of a match, teams build rhythm, not just in their own play, but in reading and adapting to the opponent’s approach as well. A prolonged break can kill momentum and negatively impact the second half of the biggest game in the sport.

In contrast, the NFL is structured around short bursts of action, frequent stoppages, and a rotating lineup of specialized players. The average play lasts just 4-6 seconds, and most players spend more time on the sideline than on the field. While adaptability and instinct still matter, each play is pre-scripted, memorized, and executed like a set piece in isolation rather than within the continuous rhythm of a match. The game is largely dictated by a playbook. Because of this stop-start nature, an extended break at halftime doesn’t have the same impact on the natural flow of the game, players are used to frequent pauses and resets.

And let’s not forget, the two teams in the World Cup final will be playing their seventh game in just four weeks. That’s after an already grueling 38-game league season (if we take the Premier League as an example), Champions League runs, domestic cups, and International matches. Some of those six previous matches may have even included extra time, adding another 30 minutes of play on top.

Footballers rely on staying warm and engaged through constant movement. Even during a standard 15-minute halftime, they need to rewarm before the second half. A longer break for a halftime show could lead to stiffness, reduced sharpness, and increased risk of injury, which is a concern in the biggest match in world football.

Football Fans Don’t Want This, And Here’s Why.
For those unfamiliar with football culture, the backlash might seem exaggerated. After all, it’s just an extra 15 minutes, right? If it works in the NFL, why not in the World Cup final?

The answer lies in what football is, and what it isn’t.

Football Culture Is About the Game
In football, the match itself is the spectacle and other than half time, there are no breaks in the action. Fans don’t need fireworks, dancers, or Mascot dunk contests to fill any voids. The entertainment comes from the drama and the intensity of the match itself. In the NFL, there are natural breaks and the entertainment fills those breaks, so it makes more sense.

Halftime Is Sacred But for a Different Reason
In American sports, entertainment is part of the experience. Fans expect a show, a performance, or a spectacle, and there is nothing wrong with that.

In football, halftime is when fans grab a quick beer, mingle, and talk about the game. It’s a communal moment to reflect, debate, and anticipate what’s coming next.

It’s also the only real break during the game to go to the toilet ?, which, let’s be honest, is crucial after those beers! In the NFL, there are multiple breaks to step out. In football, you leave your seat at your own risk, because that’s when someone usually scores like a cruel punishment from the football gods.

Football Doesn’t Need to Be the NFL, And It Shouldn’t Try.
The NFL is great. I’ve been to many games over the years, and I love the experience. The Super Bowl is a massive cultural event, but it’s special because it’s different.

Football has its own identity, and it’s already the most-watched sport in the world. It doesn’t need a halftime show to boost engagement. Nobody has been asking for this. This isn’t about improving the game, it’s about revenue, even at the expense of the global football audience.

For years, the complaint is that the game has been taken away from the average person and their families because corporate needs have taken priority over the fans, so things like this just feel like another shameless step in that journey. If you thought World Cup final ticket prices were outrageous before, wait until they add Taylor Swift to the halftime billing.

Football fans don’t want the World Cup final turned into a corporate entertainment show. They want to see the best players in the world competing at their peak, in a match that means everything. Disrupting that for a few extra sponsorship dollars when the tournament already has an opening and closing ceremony? That’s why fans are pushing back.

One last thing, FIFA is working hard to win over U.S. sports fans and bring them to our beautiful game, which I support, and I would guess they think this NFL-like strategy is a step toward making that happen. But if FIFA truly wants to get more U.S. sports fans engaged, they should focus on what many American sports fans actually dislike about football.

I spend months in the U.S. every year talking sports, and I constantly hear the same complaint: DIVING. “The diving kills it, I can’t watch it.” and I understand that stance. A glitzy halftime show isn’t going to convince the skeptics to lock into the Premier League next season.

I get the need to drive revenue, but I believe there are ways to do it that don’t disrupt the fabric of the game’s culture, a culture that’s been pretty solid around the world for over 100 years.

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