The FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show captured the imaginations of football and non-football fans alike. However, the show didn’t meet with the best of opinions from experts across the board.
For instance, USMNT legend Brad Friedel wasn’t exactly thrilled about the show’s length. He ultimately sided with the BBC’s decision to forego broadcasting the show altogether.
But there’s one other notable expert who believes the 2026 halftime show didn’t do the sport any favors. In a conversation with Casinos.com, brand manager and PR expert Colm Phelan made it clear that the show, while engaging with fans, isn’t productive for the sport.
“Extending a World Cup final half-time to 25 minutes is a significant call, and another on the long-list of calls Infantino has made which will raise a few eyebrows quite honestly. FIFA would not have made it unless the commercial and broadcast numbers justified it.” Phelan added, “The Super Bowl proved that a premium half-time show does not hurt the sport, it extends the audience. But this is not the NFL. Extending the half-time period, combined with the hydration breaks, fundamentally changes the scope of the game.”
Indeed, the FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show was a clear Americanization of the game. Plus, the hydration breaks have also led to extending matches’ overall length. That’s why, with the 2030 World Cup mainly in Europe, there might not be a halftime extravaganza.
That’s something FIFA will need to determine when the time comes.
Would It Make Sense to “Copy” FIFA World Cup 2026 Halftime Show in 2030?
So, there might be a sense to “copy” the halftime show from 2026. On the whole, fans seemed receptive, but would it really be worth sort of doing it all over again?
It would really depend on who the show targets. Since the World Cup is a truly global spectacle, there would have to be a more global appeal to it. The last thing FIFA would want to see is alienating fans because there’s a seeming lack of representation.
But if there’s one thing that the FIFA World Cup 2026 proved, it is that enough star power can make the show work.
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Could This Be the Beginning of a New Tradition?
Ultimately, football fans could be seeing the beginning of a new tradition. It could very well mark the transformation of the World Cup Final into a sort of entertainment spectacle that goes beyond the sporting event itself.
It’s worth keeping in mind that FIFA, like just about every sports organization in the world, is looking to get eyeballs on TV screens and bodies into stadiums.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show, for better or worse, achieved that aim.
That’s why it seems like the halftime extravaganza is here to stay. The plan moving forward will be to improve upon it, potentially whittling the overall time down. But who knows if that will ever be the case?
With the 2030 edition in Europe, the spectacle side of the world’s most important football event should have a different feel to it. Perhaps it could unleash a competition to see who can outdo the other.
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