FIFA to break football laws during World Cup final in new controversy

The World Cup final is expected to have a half time break of around 30 minutes, rather than the typical maximum of 15 minutes.

A longer pause in play will be in place to accommodate the half time show for the final that will take place on Sunday night.

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However, by extending things this weekend, FIFA are breaking the rules of football and breaching the Laws of the Game.

The maximum time allowed for a half time period is 15 minutes, but there is now going to be double that time for the final.

Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS are going to be the leading stars of the first ever World Cup final half-time show.

It is expected to be similar to the iconic Super Bowl performance that happens each year in the NFL.

This would be the second time that FIFA have broken the rules, as the Club World Cup half time lasted 25 minutes in total.

They are yet to confirm the official length of the break at the World Cup, but according to The Times, broadcasters are expecting it to be around half an hour.

BBC and ITV were reported to initially have concerns over showing the half time show as part of their coverage.

But now they are expected to broadcast the whole thing, which is likely to take around 11 minutes.

Match analysis is expected to take place either side of the show, with staging being built before and taken down after it.

The delays caused by that and the performance appear to be extending half time to the half-hour mark.

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Rules continue to be broken

FIFA’s actions throughout the World Cup have led to major controversies on and off the pitch.

USA star Folarin Balogun had his red card suspended, which led to huge backlash, with President Donald Trump admitting to calling FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and asking him to review the decision.

Infantino has since received calls to resign, while strange changes to the usual protocol have led to further questions being asked.

On top of that, FIFA have also been forced to break another rule regarding branding on stadiums at the tournament.

They stated that all the venues must hide branding on their ground, including lettering and logos on stadium roofs, while they have also administered the temporary name changes to the 16 hosts.

But for England’s semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta will still include the logo on the roof, as it cannot be covered without risking damage.

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When is the World Cup final?

The World Cup final will take place at 8pm UK time on Sunday, July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New York.

It means the half-time show is expected to take place from around 8:45pm in the UK, with the second half to start at 9:15pm.

talkSPORT will have live commentary of all the action.

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