FIFA World Cup 2026 is facing backlash over one historic first

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has finally come to an end with an intense match, bringing victory to Spain. Though the World Cup often comes with its own set of backlash regarding the games, this year’s game received a backlash of a completely different type.

The FIFA World Cup 2026, for the first time, gave football enthusiasts a star-studded halftime show that included top artists from all across the world. Which initially could have been a union of cultures to enhance the Spain versus Argentina match, turned quite chaotic, and is already receiving intense backlash.

FIFA World Cup 2026 is facing backlash over the historic halftime show

The halftime show is a usual occurrence of the NFL's Super Bowl, where artists perform to further enhance the energy of the viewers and the players alike. However, for the FIFA World Cup 2026, things have taken a turn as the first-ever halftime show is receiving intense backlash from football enthusiasts, along with fandoms of the artists who have performed.

The main concern is the well-being of the players. It cannot be denied that there is a specific reason that the half-time interval is set at 15 minutes. It helps the players to get a short break from the intensity of the match and also does not disrupt their rhythm, so that muscle injury can be prevented. However, when the cool-off period extends, as was the case with the FIFA World Cup 2026, where, due to the halftime show, the interval went 15 minutes and was closer to 30 minutes.

This prolonged duration of cooldown time can lead to significant muscle injuries when the players return for their match after the interval. To build the temporary stage for the performance of the artists, the time reached almost 30 minutes according to the reports, which is a violation of the strict 15-minute interval set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Besides these reasons, the halftime show is also facing backlash because of the performances of some of the artists. Many fans have voiced their opinions regarding Justin Bieber's performance of the song Everything Hallelujah, which does not match the momentum and intensity of the final match. Many have also accused Shakira, who performed with Burna Boy singing Dai Dai, of lip-syncing during their performance.

Many have also pointed out that the governing body has chosen to divert from its usual norms for the sake of commercialization, as the performance of esteemed artists has drawn a huge crowd to the game. It cannot be denied that packing the performance of the artists within just 11 minutes gave the headliners very little time to give a cohesive performance.

Besides Shakira and Justin Bieber, the halftime show of the FIFA World Cup 2026 had the K-Pop group BTS and Madonna as the co-headliners. The whole performance was curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay. Though Justin Bieber's Everything Hallelujah has received backlash from the fans, BTS’s charged performance of their song Dynamite stole the spotlight, along with Madonna’s performance with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

Though the halftime show is now receiving immense backlash, the viewers are united on how intense and breathtaking the final match was. Both teams did an impeccable job and depicted their brilliance. The match was a thrilling one, eventually leading to Spain’s glorious victory.

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