Justin Bieber's surprise half-time show breaks major World Cup rule

FIFA’s half-time show during Sunday’s World Cup final is expected to last a longer than previously thought.

An 11-minute mini concert inspired by the Super Bowl was previously announced, co-headlined by Madonna, Shakira and BTS at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

While sources within FIFA suggest the break will last around 20 minutes, it is understood that one option for the normal 15-minute half-time break and then the 11-minute show.

The list of performers has grown, with Justin Bieber joining the lineup last week, along with Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus featuring Coldplay. The band’s singer Chris Martin curated the show.

The BBC and ITV are preparing for a 30-minute break to accommodate an 11-minute show, along with their usual 15-minute analysis for the middle of the game.

Madonna is headlining the half-time show (James Devaney/GC Images)

The Laws of the Game, governed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) state that players are allowed a half-time break ‘not exceeding 15 minutes’.

However, FIFA already bent the rules at last year’s Club World Cup with a half-time show that lasted 25 minutes.

Last month, reports suggested that broadcasters around the world were becoming increasingly frustrated with FIFA over its failure to confirm the length of the World Cup final's half-time show.

A report by The Guardian said that several World Cup rights holders had made multiple requests for clarification about the duration of the half-time interval, but received no response. The uncertainty has reportedly created problems for commercial broadcasters, whose advertising teams need to know how much commercial inventory they can offer to clients.

Shakira is one of the half-time show headliners (Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Some rights holders assumed the musical performance would be similar in length to the NFL's Super Bowl half-time show, lasting around 12 to 15 minutes. However, concerns over the time required to set up and dismantle the stage have led some broadcast experts to fear that the interval could be significantly longer.

Some reports suggest the half-time show could last as long as 30 minutes, which would make the final the longest ever edition.

The final is set to begin at 8pm on Sunday evening, 3pm local time. There will be a closing ceremony starting at 18:30pm local time (1:30pm) which will have performances from Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and IShowSpeed. Jennifer Hudson will sing the national anthem of the United States.

Tyla has contacted FIFA for comment.