2026 World Cup: Gianni Infantino Sticks to His Position; Fans’ Anger Runs High
The 2026 World Cup final will be remembered not only for what happens on the field, but also for a decision that has long been fueling debate among fans and industry insiders. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, in fact, has no intention of backtracking: the halftime show for the final will go on, but the decision is fueling a full-blown revolt among fans.
The premise is simple: FIFA has announced a halftime show modeled after the all-American tradition of the Super Bowl. The event will feature world-renowned artists such as Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS, who are set to perform at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford—just a few kilometers from downtown New York—on July 19. The event will be hosted by Chris Martin of Coldplay and broadcast live around the world.
It will also be an opportunity to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aiming to raise $100 million to provide education and soccer opportunities for children, but the issue for fans is something else entirely. According to rumors, the show is expected to far exceed the standard 15-minute halftime break, significantly altering the flow of the match. And this comes on top of the already highly controversial hydration breaks—two per match—which have been met with roars of disapproval in stadiums since day one.
The risk, according to many fans, is that the World Cup final will be fragmented and distorted in favor of elements that have nothing to do with soccer, sacrificing the flow of the game to make way for a spectacle. For many fans, the FIFA president is ignoring a clear message: the public wants to see a soccer match, not a music festival in the middle of the most important game of the four-year cycle.
On social media, people are talking about the “Americanization of soccer,” “entertainment that stifles the sport,” and a “decision made out of vanity.” And in the stadiums, the tension is already palpable: Infantino has been the target of boos from the crowd whenever he appeared on the big screens, including during the France–Spain semifinal, where his response—an amused smile—further irritated the fans.
Despite the protests, FIFA is not backing down. The Halftime Show will go ahead; it will be spectacular and will represent, in the organization’s words, “the definitive fusion of soccer, music, and social impact.” This is a vision Infantino has been championing for years, convinced that the World Cup must become a global event that extends beyond the field. But the question remains: at what cost? The final on July 19 will be the litmus test.
