FIFA introduces first World Cup final halftime show featuring global stars

Steelman: both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Supporters of the new format argue that football's showcase match deserves the kind of spectacle already associated with events like the Super Bowl, and that a globally recognised line-up helps the sport reach wider, younger and more diverse audiences beyond its traditional base. They see it as a natural evolution for a tournament competing for attention in a crowded entertainment landscape, generating additional revenue and cultural relevance that can ultimately benefit the game. For this camp, blending pop culture with football's biggest stage is a confident, forward-looking statement rather than a betrayal of the sport.

The case against

Critics who value the tradition of the World Cup final counter that the match itself, not a concert, should remain the sole focus of football's most important occasion, and that 96 years without scheduled entertainment reflects a deliberate discipline worth preserving. They worry that lengthening the interval and foregrounding global celebrities risks disrupting player preparation and recovery, diluting the sporting drama with commercial spectacle, and edging an intensely global game toward an American sports-entertainment model that many fans never asked for. For them, the final's dignity lies precisely in its restraint, not in matching the razzmatazz of other sporting events.