Major finals have long mixed football with ceremony, music and celebrity. A halftime show at the World Cup final, however, would take that relationship to another level.
For organisers, the appeal is obvious. The final attracts a global audience far beyond regular football supporters, giving performers an enormous platform and allowing the event to feel like a worldwide festival. The reported involvement of Madonna, Shakira and BTS would underline that ambition.
But the timing matters. A final’s halftime is traditionally a short reset for players and coaches, not a second headline event. The more elaborate the production becomes, the greater the risk that the match itself feels temporarily displaced.
Gallagher has reportedly criticised the expansion, describing football as something that has “vem funcionando perfeitamente há centenas de anos” - working perfectly for hundreds of years. When asked whether he would take part, he joked: “Vou fazer a rifa do intervalo por uma perna de cordeiro.”
The comments frame the debate as more than a complaint about individual performers. Gallagher’s argument is that football already possesses its own drama, rituals and emotional pull. For traditionalists, adding a concert to the final could look like unnecessary packaging around a spectacle that needs no enhancement.
The show will succeed only if it complements the occasion rather than competing with it. A brief celebration of global music could make the final feel more inclusive; an oversized production could leave supporters asking whether the football has become secondary.
As 19 July approaches, the key storyline will be whether the reported lineup materialises - and whether Chris Martin’s vision can satisfy both the entertainment audience and Gallagher’s football-first camp.