Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini will perform at the World Cup final on July 19, and the match will include a halftime show for the first time in World Cup history. The move answers how long is halftime in the world cup only in part: the source does not give a duration, but it does make clear that the interval will now carry a performance on the biggest stage.
The pair will join forces on the pitch of New Jersey's MetLife Stadium with their official FIFA track, "Desire." That pushes the final beyond a standard break between halves and turns the pause into a programmed part of the spectacle, something the tournament has not done before.
Chris Martin Curates The Lineup
The halftime show lineup was curated by Chris Martin, who has already recruited Madonna, Shakira and BTS. That roster shows the final is being treated as a produced event rather than a routine interval, with the performance built around a set piece instead of a single act.
Williams is not entering the final alone in the spotlight. Laura Pausini is alongside him, and the official track gives the performance a fixed anchor rather than a one-off guest appearance.
Noel Gallagher Rejects The Razzmatazz
Noel Gallagher took the opposite view, saying, "I’m doing the half-time raffle for a leg of lamb" and, "I don’t like changes in football." He added, "I’m looking forward to these new rules about corners and time-wasting, that might be a good thing for the game, but I don’t like the razzmatazz of football; it’s been functioning perfectly for hundreds of years" and, "They’re not really football people who are performing anyway, are they?"
That reaction puts a sharp edge on the first halftime show in World Cup history. For the final in New Jersey, the key unanswered point is still the same practical one: how long the halftime break itself will be, even as the show around it is now set.
Roy Keane’s WAG Reference
Roy Keane also spoke on The Overlap podcast about the wives and girlfriends of footballers who attend World Cup games. The term WAG was initially mentioned in the British media in 2002 and caught fire during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Baden-Baden, Germany, when Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney and Cheryl Cole were among the partners mentioned in connection with the tournament.
That older debate sits far from the July 19 performance, but it shows how World Cup culture keeps expanding beyond the football itself. This time, the final will carry a halftime show as part of the package, and Williams and Pausini are the names attached to it.
