Wild twist in World Cup final half-time show where Bieber and Madonna set to play

FIFA is set to break its own rules by doubling the World Cup final’s half-time interval to 25 minutes, in order to accommodate its Super Bowl-inspired entertainment spectacle.

The interval will feature an 11-minute performance window from a blockbuster line-up including Justin Bieber, Shakira, Madonna, and BTS, as well as the usual 15-minute mid-game analysis from sports pundits, according to The Times.

The laws of the game state a half-time interval must never be longer than 15 minutes, but with this many stars, it could be unavoidable.

However, FIFA did break the rule at last year’s Club World Cup with performances that stretched to 25 minutes.

Nine.com.au has reached out to FIFA for comment.

Spain locked their place in the World Cup final on Wednesday, after defeating France 2-0. On Monday morning at 5:00am [AEST] they will face whichever team wins between Argentina and England on Thursday.

Alongside the half-time interval, there will be a star-studded closing ceremony for the tournament.

FIFA confirmed the ceremony would feature Tom Cruise, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams and IShowSpeed.

Some fans of the sport have taken to social media to share their frustrations, arguing that the sport is leaning into American traditions, whereas others have shared their delight in the stacked lineup set to take to the stage.

The move sees FIFA follow in the footsteps of sporting events such as the Super Bowl, which airs a 12 to 15-minute half-time performance each year. Previous performers include Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.

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'Nobody knows what it took': Hailey Bieber opens up following Justin's headline Coachella act

The World Cup final half-time show will be the first time Bieber has taken to the stage since his headlining act at Coachella, both weekend one and two.

His appearance at the famed music festival became a huge cultural moment, with fans titling both weekends as “Bieberchella”.

It was his first major performance since cancelling his Justice world tour in 2022 due to Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, and while some criticised him for being “lazy”, the large majority of fans couldn’t have been happier with Bieber’s return to the main stage.

For his weekend one performance, Bieber drew the largest crowd in Coachella history, with an extra 500,000 fans tuning into the livestream from around the world.

He’ll be joined at the World Cup by music industry legend Madonna, who also made headlines at Coachella when she made a surprise appearance on stage during Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining set to perform her hits Vogue and Like a Prayer.

This will be her first performance since the release of her latest album Confessions II, which marked her 10th album to debut at number one on the Billboard charts.