BTS halftime show at the World Cup final—could it be extended to 25 minutes? [Issues & Talk]

The stage time for the FIFA World Cup final halftime show featuring BTS is drawing attention.

On the 15th (Korea time), the BBC reported that the 2026 North, Central America World Cup final halftime show is expected to run for about 20 to 25 minutes. The Times projected an even longer duration of up to 30 minutes.

FIFA has introduced the Super Bowl halftime show format, a symbol of American professional sports, for the first time in World Cup history at this final. BTS will take the stage as a co-headliner with Madonna and Shakira, and Justin Bieber has recently joined the guest lineup.

The key issue is time. Originally, the performance itself including BTS was planned for 11 minutes, but under International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules, the halftime rest guaranteed to players is specified as a period that does not exceed 15 minutes. Added to this are the time required for stage setup and teardown, making it inevitable that the actual rest time would be longer. The BBC reported, "The total break is likely to be around 20 minutes, but a plan to combine a 15-minute break with an 11-minute performance is also being considered."

This is not the first such case. In last year's FIFA Club World Cup final held in the United States, Coldplay and others put on a halftime stage, extending the break to as long as 24 minutes. That is why this stage featuring BTS is also being discussed as likely to follow a similar process. Since the final time was adjusted then as well between two factors, player stamina management and performance quality, a similar compromise is expected to be discussed this time too.

This 2026 North, Central America World Cup has introduced hydration time around the 22-minute mark of each half, effectively being played in an NFL-style format. If a 25-minute final halftime show is added on top of that, it is expected to resemble the Super Bowl. Given the scale of the stage and the lineup of performers, a minimum setup time is unavoidable, so there is expected to be some difference between IFAB regulations and actual operations.

The final will be held at 4:00 a.m. on the 20th (Korea time) at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey. Spain, which advanced to the final by defeating France 2 to 0 on the 15th, will compete for the title against the winner of the England-Argentina match on the 16th. The final will kick off at 3:00 p.m. local time, and the exact running time of the halftime show, including BTS's stage, is expected to be finalized only shortly before the match.