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The safety net of group play is gone. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has entered its win-or-go-home phase, where every minute can define a nation's tournament and every second of the broadcast matters for fans watching along.
While fans are glued to the action, many are left wondering just how long halftime is during a World Cup match.
Here is everything you need to know about halftime breaks at the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
How Long Is Halftime At The World Cup?
Every game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup features a 15-minute halftime break. This is standard across most major soccer leagues and tournaments, including Major League Soccer, the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A. It also equals the length of a standard halftime break in the NBA.
The only major North American sport with a halftime break longer than 15 minutes is the NFL, which has an 18-minute halftime break that increases in length during the Super Bowl, which has a halftime show that could range anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.
Will The World Cup Final Have A Halftime Show?
Yes. For the first time in history, football, music and social impact will come together on the night of the World Cup final. FIFA announced in May that Madonna, Shakira and BTS will headline the tournament's first-ever halftime show.
Shakira's inclusion as one of the headliners felt more like a matter of when, not if, given her longstanding connection to the World Cup and impact on the global stage.
She helped shape the World Cup’s cultural identity for two decades, beginning with her performance of "Hips Don’t Lie" at the 2006 tournament in Germany and continuing with "Waka Waka" becoming the defining anthem of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Shakira has already made her long-awaited return to this year’s World Cup, performing the official anthem "Dai Dai" in Mexico City. If anyone embodies the spirit of the tournament and is fitting for its first-ever halftime show, it is Shakira.
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